Another New Family Member
by ObsidianWing
Summary: Matt wants to start a family, Mello is nervous about the whole thing, but things might turn out for the better. Especially with Light, L, and Near all there to support them... in their own ways, of course! (I am not getting better at summaries... dammit.)
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: n which Matt and Mello think about having a family!_**

**_This idea was suggested by many people - not all of them I remember - and I thank you all for the idea! I know I'm kind of writing another story right now, but sometimes I get into the mood for writing a different kind of setting. So, if you all see a bunch of stories coming out for no reason, believe me they will all get finished!_**

**_Thank you to my lovely followers for... well... being awesome in general! And I hope you all enjoy this short story (Maybe fifteen chapters... or more) based around Matt and Mello!_**

**_Don't worry to all you Near fans because he will have his own story soon! I swear it!_**

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><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

"Come on Mels! Won't you even think about it!?"

"No! Now drop it!"

"But think about how life-changing it would be! Watching them grow up, taking care of them, the good memories, the love, the togetherness…"

"The spit-ups, the dirty fingers, having to clean up after them. No thank you, Matt."

I'd been trying for hours now and still no dice. Mello just didn't want to hear my side of the argument.

I sighed to myself. "But Mels, you'd make a great dad! So would I! And together…"

He grabbed the collar of my shirt now. "Matt, I'm going to say this for a final time. We are not having kids! Not today, not tomorrow, not for a _long_ time!"

He let me go and marched out of the room. But I was far from done at this point.

I hurried to follow him, trying my best to make more good arguments about why having kids was a good thing.

It had been a good year since L and Light married, and another three months since the trial. Near's girlfriend, Olive – or Olivia as she was once called – had been acquitted of any crimes from the Fashion show Fiasco. Since it was her sister who had threatened her to do as she said or die, the court took pity on her. Olive now lived with us, remaining close to Near, and was more than a thrill to be around. She was basically a female version of all of us, but just a bit wittier. More than once she managed to out-insult Mello, out-game me, and out-smart Near. In truth, the Wammy house was a perfect place for her if ever there was a home.

When this whole debate about Mello and I having kids started up, you can bet Olive was more than happy to get in on the in-fighting. Thankfully, she took my side most times.

As we walked to the surveillance rooms where L and Light were working on a case, I tried my hardest to make Mello see my point of view.

"Mels, you don't know that having kids will be as bad as you think. You might make a great daddy!"

He only grumbled. "Matt, I'm twenty-six. Having kids is not on my list of things to accomplish, and it won't be until I'm much older."

"How much older?" I asked, feeling hopeful.

He gave a quick paus in his step as he opened the door to the surveillance room. "Hmm… forty?"

My heart sank. "You really want to wait until you're forty to have a kid!?"

He shrugged. "Give or take. I want to live my life to the fullest before having to tie myself down to a child."

We entered the room then and already Light and L were listening in on our conversation. Not that it was news or anything. We'd had this conversation for a few weeks now. More times than not Mello had to shut me up with a night of sex. Maybe that wasn't healthy, but it worked. Most times I totally forgot about what we'd been talking about before. Damn him for being so sexy! The saddest part was, he knew it too!

Mello sat in a chair, biting into a chocolate bar. "Look Matt, even if I were to entertain this idea of yours to have children with you, there's a few problems we face. First and foremost, we're both men! Any kids we had would be adopted…"

"There's other options." I interrupted. "But I'm not sure how you feel about me impregnating a woman through a program."

"If you did so, I'd murder you in cold blood and feed your testicles to seagulls."

The room fell into silence before I swallowed a bit of fear. "Point taken."

He rolled his eyes, something I was too sure he learned from Light. "And secondly, where exactly would we live? We can't stay in the Wammy house forever, and I don't exactly have any houses I can randomly go to. My parents do, but I don't have privilege over them anymore.

"Not to mention, Matt, that if you wanted a baby there'd be messes and running around. Saving for college, school fees, and generally having extra cash around… that's not us. Especially when you fuel your addiction to video games."

"At least I kicked my smoking habit!" I exclaimed happily.

Another eye-roll. "It's not happening."

"The blonde has spoken, Matt." Light finally chimed in after finishing up some paperwork. "He doesn't want kids. Now, if you were willing to find a way to obtain their souls, Mello would gladly have them for a snack."

"Oh shut it!" The blonde beside me demanded before taking another bite out of his bar. "Is it so terrible that I want to live my life before settling down and having a family?"

L chuckled, not turning to look at us from his screen. "Mello has a valid point, Matt. You two are young enough, so why not enjoy your life?"

"But you and Light were younger than us when you adopted the three of us." I argued.

"It was a different set of circumstances." Light explained as he sat back in his chair. "L was technically your brother when you all became a family. We didn't adopt you as our sons until you adopted us as your parental figures. It's only when you're ready can you have kids."

"Well I'm ready!" I exclaimed yet again. "I've lived my life!"

Light only chuckled. "Well, maybe _you_ have. But Mello sure hasn't."

"No, I haven't." The blonde spoke up again. "So please drop it, Matt."

I growled to myself. "Fine… for now."

Just then, the door opened again and Near joined us. He handed a few files to Light who gladly looked through them.

"Anything you could find about our suspect?"

"Page three." The albino replied. "There's a lot of stuff there that contradicts his story. By tomorrow morning we should have this case done."

He looked over to Mello and me and grinned slyly. "Still trying to get your girlfriend pregnant, Mattie?"

"Shut it, freak." Mello answered.

He merely chuckled. "At least Olive and I are in agreement. No kids. Nadda. Zip! They'd just get in my way anyways."

I scoffed. "Is everyone in Wammy's so jaded? I think having kids would be incredible! Especially if we could have our own, Mels."

"You aren't joining a program, Matt! And neither am I!" He said forcefully. "And besides, who would be the mother? Obviously this woman would want to see this child as well. Plus she'd have to be close by so we could keep tabs. Not to mention you'd have to take care of her in her final trimester. Face it, Matt, you haven't thought all this through!"

I blinked a bit and grinned cheekily. He knew in an instant what I was thinking.

"You didn't!" The blonde spat out before rising from his seat.

"Now hold on, blondie!" I stopped him. "I simply found a woman who would be more than willing to have our child. We haven't confirmed anything!"

"Who?!" He demanded.

I cringed inward a bit. "Linda."

The room went silent other than the coughing coming from L who had choked on his tea after hearing the name.

Mello wasn't mad anymore… just surprised.

"Linda? Why would she agree…?"

"Because she said something about witnessing the act of childbirth and emoting the pain onto paper. She really has no interest in kids, but she'd be happy to have ours!"

I got smacked for that, but thankfully not too hard.

"I swear to god, Matt," Mello seethed, "you can be such an imbecilic man some days!"

"I told you, nothing is confirmed! She's just willing to go through with it!"

"I've heard enough of this!" The blonde growled out before leaving the room angrily. Before getting out of sight though, he turned back to me and demanded I sleep on the couch for tonight, followed by a slam of the door.

I sighed heavily before sitting in a chair. "I am an imbecile some days… aren't I?"

Near patted my shoulder. "No, you just don't think things through."

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

Was I such an awful person for wanting to wait? Honestly? I mean, yes most people who have kids would have them around now, but it wasn't always thought out perfectly until the end. Most kids grow up in terrible households because of that. And I sure as hell didn't want my flesh and blood to grow up in an unhappy household. Not like Matt had to…

I did want kids, despite my constant negativity on the subject. But there was a huge problem if Matt and I decided to have kids…

We were both males.

If we had a child, it meant they'd be ridiculed mercilessly in school or in public. It wasn't natural to have two dads. We'd be outcasts, my kids would be a social pariah. I didn't want that for them. Plus with the off chance we gave some of our intelligence to them, they'd either have to learn at Wammys, or go into another program. There was all this and more to be worried about and I couldn't deal with it. Matt had his heart set on a family with me, but I knew it was just going to cause more problems.

By luck I passed by Linda in the hall and I decided to ask her about the subject of kids. Her answer was simple enough.

"Matt looked desperate, and I think he'd make a great dad. You both would if given the opportunity. I know it's not exactly in your heart right now, Mello, but I think you need something to look after. Despite what you say. And besides, you can still live your life, even with a child. In fact, you just might be able to live a bit more because of them."

She giggled then. "But I'm going to warn you, my family has a long history with twins and triplets, so you might get more than you asked for if you ask this of me."

Our conversation ended there and I was more scared now than before. Twins? Triplets? Could we handle that many kids? At once?!

I decided now would be the best time to speak with my parents about this matter. If anything they'd help me out in choosing the right course of action for me.

I hadn't spoken with my mother and father in a while, but they were always happy to see me. Of course, they lived close to London and among the noble homestead like most in England, but I was probably the only nobleman that deserted that life. The only time I ever even thought about that place was when I visited my parents, and even that was once in a while. If not once a month.

It wasn't a very long drive there, but I got more than a few stares by a few people when I rode up into the driveway on my motorbike that L and Light had given me for my birthday. When I'd _first_ gotten it, however, it was falling apart at the hinges. But, with Matt's help and a little work, we got this thing up and running in no time. I had asked for a project for my birthday, and this had been the mother lode of all projects.

The butler to the manor greeted me warmly, but it was my parents that were the happiest to see me. My brother Emmett was at my father's office for the moment, no doubt becoming more involved knowing he would inherit all of it in the near furture, but Arden was there to fill his place. Emily was taking a nap upstairs.

When we all finally settled down and got some afternoon tea ready, served to us on the finest silver, I took a look around at my old home.

Everything was decorated in lively colours but in neutral tones. The manor was huge, to say the least, and I remembered the parties my father used to throw when I still lived here. I was only ever allowed to them if I went to bed on time, but it was still a grand time. Still, this wasn't the life for me. The homey feel, the laziness, the never having to work… it wasn't for me in the slightest.

I liked to live out in the open and free. To feel the wind in my hair and the oxygen in my lungs. If I was crammed in a manor for weeks on end I'd have gone stir crazy. No, in the Wammy house was where I belonged. Where being smart was a good thing and we were treated like children and not nobility. Where I could eat dirt and wrestle with Matt without getting worried about my 'expensive clothes'. Not to mention I was able to think for myself and do things on my own. No one having to cut my food or pour my tea. I was on my own.

And I liked it that way.

After the tea was served, my father asked why I chose to visit.

And so I told him about Matt and how he wanted a family.

My mother was overjoyed by this. "Mihael! This is wonderful! Children and having a family, t's all so beautiful!"

My father was also quite pleased, but I knew he could see the same problems I was seeing.

Sure enough. "Yes, Amelia, having a family is a beautiful thing. But it would seem our son is at a discord with this."

Arden merely shrugged. "Why would he be? I'm a kid and he likes me…" he looked up at me then. "Right?"

I chuckled slightly. "It's a bit different, Arden. You see, you're my brother. I don't have much responsibility over you. But if I had a child, everything they do is a reflection of either me or Matt. And, if they did anything wrong, it's immediately me who gets the blame. Not to mention I don't have to feed or cook for you. I don't have to clothe you, teach you, or really do anything but be a big brother. Being a parent, and being a brother, ae two completely different things."

"He's correct, son." My father agreed with me. "However, I believe you two would make a great pair of parents."

"But no marriage?" My mother asked.

I shrugged. "We agreed marriage isn't what binds us, but the vows we make to each other. I love Matt, and he loves me. Do I need a ring to prove this?"

She sighed unhappily. "I suppose not. But I always dreamed of having a wedding for you. Even if Matt is your bride."

"Finally, I'm not the female in the relationship!" I muttered out.

My father chuckled at this before continuing on. "I know, Mello, that you're afraid of this kind of commitment. But, if you love Matt as much as you say you do, then a child will only bring you two closer together."

"But what about a house?" I asked. "And savings? Not to mention…"

"If you need the help, all you have to do is ask." He interrupted. "Do you really believe your mother and I didn't have a plan for you when you were younger?"

He wrote down something on a napkin then and handed it to me. "This is the address to one of our estates out of the city. If you need a home, you have this. We also still have your savings from when you were born. We hadn't even remembered about it until after you appeared again some months back. Not to mention you have work with L that pays you and Matt handsomely, you're given a monthly check from my business due to you being the second heir to my status, and if ever you needed a babysitter you'd still have L and Light to turn to as well as us. We're all a family now, Mello. We look out for each other. Believe me, if you wanted to set up a life with your man and have a family we'd support you."

I could feel myself tear up a bit at this. My decision still wasn't final, but at least I had less to worry about now. It's a good thing I didn't bring Matt with me today. He'd probably guilt me into saying yes after all this information.

I hugged my parents happily after receiving this news. "Thank you both. I'm glad I have you as my parents."

My mother hugged me a bit tighter. "And we're happy to see that Light raised you so well. He really was a good mother to you."

I snickered a bit at this.

After our hug ended I asked them if I could stay the night. They said it was alright, but they asked why.

I merely grinned slyly at them. "I just wanna make Matt sweat a bit longer."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Meh, I can't sleep. So I started writing another chapter for one story... then got bored and wrote a chapter for this story... then I got bored again and went out for a walk (At 1:00 am, yes) then came back and finished this chapter. And it is now that I've decided that this will be a time skip kind of story. You know like... three yeas go by and stuff. I really want to get to the family junk and make this story better than I initially thought._**

**_As always thank you to my loyal followers, you are all incredible and I love you all! No really, you guys are awesome, and your feedback is amazing! When I first wrote the story 'A New Family Member" I thought "Goddammit I'm such a sucky writer, no one will love this..." I never imagined it having so much feedback and so many followers! Seriously, that's a huge boost to my self esteem knowing I can make people happy by writing! Which is why I hate myself when I can't remake that magic the first one had..._**

**_But I digress..._**

**_Anyways, thank you all again! And I hope you enjoy the chapter!_**

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

When I got back to the Wammy house the next day I hadn't expected the small surprise in Matt's arms.

And I wasn't the least bit happy about it.

I'd entered through the door to see the red head holding something in his arms while a bunch of people gathered around him in awe. When I went to see what he was holding… I flat out lost it.

The kid was now safe in Light's arms, but Matt was far from safe. I don't know how many items I threw at him, but all I knew was that I hadn't hit him once yet. I admit that this was an incredibly irrational way to deal with this, but I was too furious to care! How dare he adopt a child without telling me!? How dare he, that bastard!

He dodged another vase as he tried to explain himself.

"Mello, I didn't adopt him! He's part of the Wammy house now!" He ducked behind the couch as another item flew past his head. "I swear it!"

"You lying sack of shit!" Was my only response.

Finally, L grabbed a hold of me to stop my onslaught but I fought like mad to get free.

"Let me go! That bastard deserves this!"

"Calm down, Mello." L said quietly. "He's telling the truth."

Light then spoke up. "This kid is a Wammy kid now. His parents died in a car crash and L took him in after Watari confirmed his abilities. He's young, yes, but he needs a home now and he has no other family. Matt only agreed to take care of him until we found a more suitable mother figure for him."

I finally felt my rage subside but I was still pissed. Although Matt didn't adopt this kid, he still went behind my back and agreed to mother him for a while.

When Matt finally came out of hiding he tried to apologise. "Mello, I'm sorry for not going over this with you earlier but he needed someone to care for him so I jumped on the opportunity. Besides, we could call this practice! You know, in case you change your mind…"

He stopped speaking after my eyes narrowed at him. When L let me go I took a look at the baby in Lights arms for a brief moment.

The kid was not much older than a year… maybe less. He needed someone to mother him for a while this was true, but Matt was too naïve to see the downside to all this. However… there was a way to teach him the cons of having a family.

I smiled wickedly at the gamer before strolling over to take the kid from Light's arms. "Tell you what, Matt. My father just gave me permission to use an old estate of his some ways from London. It isn't far from the Wammy house, and I think it'd make a great family home."

The look in his eyes was both excitement and fear. "Are… are you saying…?"

"I'm not saying anything, Matt." I replied, adjusting my arms so that the child would be more comfortable. "I'm making a deal."

Now his eyes were just fearful. "Uh… a deal? Care to elaborate?"

I grinned slyly at him. "Until Light and L can find a more suitable mother figure for this kid, we'll take care of him. If you don't lose your mind by then, I'll agree to start a family with you. Crack, and you forget the idea until we're much older. Deal?"

A small twinkle in his eyes was as good an answer as any, but he still agreed. "Deal!"

I laughed to myself. _'You'll lose it before the first week.'_

"Well then," I replied, "we should go see this new home. Of course, we'll need to take your limo, L. Matt's car doesn't have seating fit for infants."

"Of course." The detective agreed, a small grin on his face. I'm betting he knew Matt wouldn't last very long either.

The gamer seemed a bit hesitant of this but agreed. Before we left though he threw the keys to Light and asked him to bring his car at the same time as we left. Light agreed and before long we set off.

The estate that was given to me was one I'd already known about since I was a child. This estate was more than fitting of a nobleman, but for now it would serve as our home. I knew Matt would love it, but he wouldn't get to enjoy it as much as he pleased.

Especially for what I had planned for him.

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><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

The estate that was given to us was huge! I swear this manor was fit for a king if need be it! There were rooms upon rooms, and beautifully decorated walls with pictures and paintings. This place was like heaven to me, having grown up with next to nothing. The only thing was, it was dirty and run down. The pool had no water, and there was dust in every nook and cranny. It would take a huge cleaning job to finish this.

I heard the blonde giggle a bit and turned to see him eyeing me slyly.

"Well?" He asked. "Aren't you going to get started?"

"Started? On what?" I inquired, genuinely confused.

He rolled his eyes and adjusted his arms for the babe he carried. "Matt, do you expect this child to live in a disgusting home like this? You'll have to clean all this up."

"What! Why me? Why can't you help?"

He grinned cheekily. "Because I'm taking care of the baby. Honestly, did you expect to just put him somewhere and expect him to be able to survive for hours on end? He needs constant attention, and he's already in my arms. I'm sorry Matt, but you have to clean the house on your own."

"House?! Mello, this place is a mansion! I'll never get it done before the day ended!"

The blonde before me dusted off the couch and sat down in his seat, the baby giggling happily. "Matt, if a butler can do it so can you. The cleaning supplies are in the limo, and make sure you get every corner. If you truly need help, then call a friend. I certainly can't help you, as you know, but I'll give you a veto if you can find a few helpers."

I blinked once before shaking my head in dismay. I should have known he'd have something like this up his sleeve. Damn blonde with his witty mind. But, if he truly thought he could get out of this so easily he thought wrong.

I took off my jacket and rolled up my sleeves. "In the limo then?"

He didn't seem surprised by my eagerness. In fact, he looked rather impressed with me.

The rest of my entire day was spent cleaning the whole mansion… by myself… with no one's help. Every corner, every crease and crack, and every single spot of dust was cleaned up and sparkling by nightfall. All the while Mello took care of the child. I hadn't seen him that much since I was too distracted with cleaning, but when I was finished and headed for the living room where Mello waited for me, the scene I saw was much more beautiful than I would have told him.

When Mello didn't know I was looking, he put up a good mommy act for the baby we were taking care of. Playing peek-a-boo, tickling the baby, even giving it a few kisses. It was like he was a completely different person… but I liked it.

The blonde was not completely heartless, this I already knew. But when he told me he didn't want kids, I thought he meant it completely and utterly, like he didn't love kids in general. But seeing him loosen up and have fun, and acting like a parent, it gave me a bit of hope for us.

I decided to make myself known when the child began to fall into slumber. After sitting on the couch beside Mello, the man gave a small smile of impression.

"Well done, Mattie. I'm surprised you're still alive."

I sighed. "Every last room is clean and tidied up. Nothing is out of place and I took the liberty of calling in an electric and water guy to get things going for tomorrow."

The blonde before me gave a small sigh of frustration. "You really are committed to having a family, aren't you?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "And by the way you were treating our little guest here, I'd say you're just as committed as myself."

He didn't say anything. He merely blinked at me before turning away to readjust the position of the baby.

I shook my head. "Mello, tell me the truth. Why are you against having a family? If today has proven anything it's that, A: you don't hate kids. And B: we're both ready to be parents."

He scoffed. "Are you really ready Matt? Truly? Because if you were you'd be thinking about our kids and the many hardships they'd have to endure because of us."

I was taken aback by this. "What on earth do you mean?"

He passed the baby off to me before crossing his arms and legs and sulked. "Matt, we're both males. Having kids is considered wrong between two males. Don't you think that if we had kids they'd be ridiculed or ostracized for this? Not to mention we're both geniuses considered by the government, and Linda is no exception, meaning the possibilities of them being geniuses goes up, meaning that they'd have to be schooled in a private school or at Wammy's. They'd be social outcasts, just like us!"

I blinked a few times before relaxing. "I know that, Mels. But what does all that matter if they have a loving family?"

He only growled a bit as he turned away from me.

I took a breath. "Mello, we are social outcasts that's true. But we always had people who loved us. Friends, family, loved ones." I grinned as I kissed his cheek happily. "Each other."

A quick and small grin appeared on his face. "But they'd still have a tough time…"

"And as parents we'd have to make it better for them. If a boy hurts my little girl, I'd knock him out within two seconds of confronting him. If my boy gets his heart broken by a girl…"

"Hell, _I'd_ knock the bitch out." He interrupted. "No one hurts my son."

I chuckled at that before stopping to realize the baby was still sleeping. Thankfully, he still hadn't woken up yet.

I sighed to myself. "Mello, I know you're worried about not being a good parent, or not being able to help out our kids, or maybe not even being the best for them. But the fact remains is that we both need at least one kid in our lives. The way you act around them is different. You're happier, more loving… is that really a bad thing?"

He was silent for a quick moment before finally slumping into his seat. "And if we fail?"

I couldn't help but slightly laugh at that. "You're Mello! Failure is not an option!"

He finally laughed a bit himself before nodding his head to me. "Fine Matt, you win. After we're done taking care of junior here, we'll prepare to start a family. _Prepare!_ I don't want this to be rushed."

I kissed the man happily and thanked him for giving the idea a chance. I knew he was still unsure about starting a family, but I knew the idea would grow on him. Despite what he believed, I knew Mello needed a kid in his life. Hell, _I_ needed a kid in my life. Something about taking care of a child made me happy, and I knew it was the right thing to do.

"I have one condition though, Matt." The blonde began.

I blinked, unsure if this was a good or a bad thing.

"I know Linda said she'd carry a baby for us, but I still want to adopt one when the perfect time comes up. There's so many kids out there who were left behind by their parents or are alone in the world. I want at least one of them to know that there's always room for them here. It's not fair to them, and you know that."

I thought about this for a quick moment before agreeing. "I'm alright with this condition. But when would you want to adopt?"

He shrugged. "Sometime in the future. When we've met the right kid."

I nodded at this. "Then we're in agreement. Right?"

He kissed my cheek in response. "Correct."

And with that, my future was sealed.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I might just write another chapter tonight so be ready for that!  
><em>**

**_As always, thank you all for sticking around and I hope you enjoy!_**

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

"Matt, just looking at you is making me nervous."

"Shut up! This is a huge moment for me!" He argued. "If you're forgetting, Linda still hasn't told us if she's pregnant yet."

"She went to the doctor yesterday, and incubation should be about three days. That's what the professional said to us."

The gamer growled. "Well I don't trust him."

I rolled my eyes so hard they fluttered. Matt was beginning to get on my last nerve with this whole pregnancy thing.

Linda had agreed and gone through with the procedure and now we were just awaiting results. To be honest I wasn't looking forward to the news. If what she said was correct, we could be looking at twins… maybe triplets. Meaning double the work for the both of us.

Maybe I was just paranoid of not being a good parent though. Hell knows I'm not a good person to begin with, so good of a parent could I be? Honestly, Matt should be having this family with someone more suitable.

We weren't living at the estate until we got the news that Linda was, in fact, pregnant. I didn't want to get Matt's hopes up quite yet. There were always risks when it came to starting a family. There could be something wrong with either Matt or myself, and then there was Linda and if she'd be able to carry the baby to full term. There were these risks and more to think about. But I didn't dare tell Matt about any of them. He wanted a family… I should at least show some mercy to him while this was going on.

I took another bite out of my chocolate bar, watching Matt shake with a bit of fear. Near and Olive were there as well, both trying to calm the red head down.

"It'll be okay, Matt." Olive tried. "You'll have a family in no time, don't even worry about it."

Near chuckled slightly. "I'm still amazed you allowed Matt to impregnate someone, Mello."

I scoffed faintly. "To be honest, we don't know who impregnated her. If she's pregnant at all."

At his curious look, Matt explained. "We both… erm… contributed to this. So that when the baby's born neither one of us can claim ownership over them. They'd be _our_ kids, and not just mine or Mello's."

"But won't you know whose is who's when it comes out a blonde or red head?"

I hummed. "Actually, my grandfather on my mother's side is a brunette."

"And my mother was a brunette, so it's more likely they'd come out with brown hair than blonde or red. Even knowing this, Linda still has reddish hair like mine, and her mother was a blonde like Mello. If anything, we won't be able to tell who the father is considering we all carry the same recessive and dominate gene-pools. Blonde and red headed, plus the extras on the side."

Near seemed quite impressed with that. "But what about when they're older? They'll start to take on more impressions of you two when they reach their teen years."

I simply shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there." I grinned a bit after that though. "Sad though that albinism is a recessive gene and rarely gets passed down from parent to child directly. Meaning if Olive ever got pregnant, there's literally no way to tell if she cheated on you Near."

The little snowflake blinked at this. "B-but, I'm male! I have a better chance at passing it down due to males being more dominant in the reproduction process!"

Olive stepped in at this point. "Yes, but albinism is still a rarity in society. And the fact that you merely have white hair and pale, but your eye colour is still normal, means you have a rare case of it. The chances of you ever passing it down to a child are slim to none."

Now the albino looked terrified, which wasn't an emotion he showed too often. "Well… good thing we agreed not to have children!"

Olive merely hummed as she stood up from her seat and walked off.

Near quickly began to follow her. "Olive?"

They were out of sights in no time, and the rest we were unsure of. Something told me though that they weren't finished on this topic quite yet.

Suddenly, we heard a door open a close and before long Linda entered the room. Matt was on his feet in no time, asking her for the news.

She only giggled at him though. "Matt, it's barely been a day! Incubation usually takes a few days and the doctor said to check after three. Don't worry about it so much!"

The gamer was just going crazy now with worry. "Well, what can we do to speed things up?!"

Another giggle. "You can't! Although, if you want to help me out, I have an order at the art emporium and the doctor told me to rest for these few days to get things settled."

Before she could ask…

"I'd be happy to help!" Matt replied, grabbing his keys from his jacket pocket. "I'll be right back!"

He kissed my cheek as a goodbye then made his way out.

Now, Linda was a smart girl… but I didn't think she was conniving. Honestly, getting Matt to do her work for her? I was both ashamed… and impressed.

I sighed. "Did you _just_ take the test, or have you known a bit longer?" I asked, knowing what she was hiding.

She smiled cheekily at me. "Nothing gets passed you, Mello. I took the pregnancy test this morning. I wanted to tell you guys now, but Matt's just a ball of nerves right now. I don't want him to be too happy about this just yet."

"Then you _are_ smarter than the average bear!" I complimented. "Well, at least you know the dangers you might face. I don't have the heart to tell Matt about what might happen."

She nodded. "And they say the first pregnancy is the toughest. Not to mention the possibility of twins."

"Speaking of which," I decided to ask now, "What are the statistics regarding twins at this moment?"

"Well, my aunts on my mum's side were twins, my dad was a triplet, my grandfather on my father's side was also a twin…"

"So… high." I interrupted.

She nodded. "I might be an only child, but I'm the first only child in a long generation, Mello. I'm too sure you and Matt can handle it though. One baby each to take care of. Plus, you could give them rhyming names! That might be fun!"

I scoffed. "Why would I do that to them? They may be twins but that doesn't mean they have the same personality."

"Hmm… that's true. But what will you name them?"

I shrugged. "I'll have to speak with Matt about it."

I could tell she heard the tone in my voice. Scared… unknowing… unsure… like I wasn't ready.

She put a hand on my shoulder. "Mello, you and Matt are more than ready for a family. In fact, I think you need one more than you believe you do. And you'll see why after the baby is born."

"Babies." I reiterated, smiling a bit.

She gave me a small hit to the stomach. "We don't know that yet."

I walked her out of the room then, feeling a small twinge in the pit of my stomach. "Believe me, Linda, I know."


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Okay, I'm gonna need you guys' help with the next chapter. But the question I have for you is at the end of the chapter!  
><em>**

**_So please review or PM me your answer to the question, and the most popular will win a trillion dollars!_**

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**_..._**

**_Not really, 'cause I'm flat out broke at the moment, but I will be very thankful to all who answer and I'll post the chapter as soon as I get enough of an answer to write said chapter!_**

**_Now, please enjoy this current chapter!_**

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><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

It had been a total of three months now and Linda had just left the doctor's office. She'd be meeting us at our estate to give us the news of our baby and its health. I begged her to let me go with her, but she apparently wanted to do this alone with Mello. I suppose it was fair though, since Mello didn't seem all that excited for the new baby. Could I really blame him though?

I knew I was ready for a kid. I wanted a kid. I knew I wanted one because I always wanted to be the father mine never was. He let me go because he knew he'd been terrible to me… and I didn't want to repeat the events over again.

Mello, however, was largely ignored by his father after he was raped. I guess some part of him didn't want a child… because it would be like looking into his past. But I knew it would be fine… no matter how much he disagreed with me. From the moment I first spoke about kids with Mello he'd avoided the topic like the plague. And I sometimes wondered if he was only going through with this to make me happy. If he was… it wasn't healthy. Not for him, and certainly not for our child.

If he would even call it his.

I wanted so desperately for Mello to feel the same way I did about this, but he was still balancing between yes and no. So, what would happen if the baby came and he said no? Would he just leave? Would he stay just to humour me? I had to believe that wasn't true. I had to believe it was what he wanted.

It was a day or so after Christmas and the estate was decorated in beautiful tinsel and a glowing Christmas tree. The only thing missing was Mello.

I still wanted a kid, of course… but how much would it interfere with my time with Mello? I liked the alone time I had with him, but I wanted a family. It was a difficult decision, more than I'd admit, but in the end I knew what we were doing was right.

Linda finally came home, Mello in tow – with a huge smile on his face – and I got the good news.

"The baby's doing fine." Linda said happily, rubbing her stomach a bit.

Mello snickered for some reason and I couldn't tell why. What was so funny about our child's well-being?

He sat down beside me and kissed my cheek. Truly, something had happened while I wasn't there… and I needed to know what it was.

"What happened? You weren't too happy about having to go through with this yesterday, so something has to have happened."

He smiled coyly at me. "Matt, do you really want kids? Truly and honestly?"

I blinked. "Y-yes?"

"How many kids?"

I was incredibly confused by what he was saying. "Um… I… I really don't… a few?"

He then looked at Linda. "Tell him."

She giggled and I got worried. "What's going on?"

She looked me straight in the eye. "It's twins, Matt. And worse, they're fraternal. One boy and one girl."

I, quite literally, felt my heart stop. Twins… one boy and one girl… two kids in one go… and they were both my family.

I looked to Mello who seemed more than pleased to see my shocked face. "Well, you got more than you bargained for, now didn't you?"

He got up from the couch and strode over to hug Linda happily. "I think this all just got a bit more interesting. Daddy Matt has to care for a little boy _and_ a little girl. Not quite what he expected."

"You seem quite happy about this, Mello." Linda commented. "For someone who wasn't exactly sure he wanted kids in the first place."

He shrugged. "To be honest, I've always wanted a daughter. On the chance she gets a few crushes in her lifetime I have liberty to kick those boys butts if I so chose to."

"And if she's into females?" Linda asked slyly.

The blonde huffed. "What's not to like about men? Woman are needy and always have an excuse for one thing or another. You get a man some food he's wrapped around your pinky for the next two days. A week if it's a meal."

"Hmm… I'll have to keep that in mind."

I finally stood up from my seat and slowly walked to Mello's side. "Mel… are you… are you saying you want kids now?"

He took a quick look over me before he grinned. "More than I did beforehand. Like I said, I've always wanted a daughter, and seeing her in the ultrasound made me realize it. Besides, I can't be sassy with just a son. I need someone on my side if I'm going to rule over this household as alpha."

"Oh!" I challenged. "You want to be the alpha?! Who's idea was it to…?!"

He cocked an eyebrow at me, his face completely serious. I'd already lost.

I crossed my arms. "Fine. Mommy Mello is top dog."

He nodded his head at me, eyes never leaving mine. "A wise decision, Mr. Jeevas."

"Speaking of which," Linda spoke up, "which name do the kids get? Jeevas or Keehl?"

Damn, that was a good question. Two fathers and two different last names. If Mello was going to mommy them, then I suppose my name would be best. But Mello had status over me, meaning his name had more power in the noble world.

"Keehl." I decided for us.

"What?!" The blonde demanded. "Why my name?!"

"Your name has more power, Mello. Our kids would have better status among nobility if we gave them your name."

"And what makes you think we're going to introduce them to the noble world? I'd sooner they be taught in public school then attend high society!"

"What about combining the names?" Linda suggested.

The two of us took a quick moment to think about it. "Jeevas-Keehl? No… it sounds too forced."

"Keevas?" Mello suggested, laughing a bit at the thought. "I don't know, it could work."

"No, it can't. They need a last name, a _real_ one."

The blonde shrugged before turning to Linda. "What was your last name before Wammys?"

She looked a bit taken by this, but answered anyway. "It was Turner."

Mello seemed to jump at this. "Really? That's the name of my grandmother's family before she married to my grandfather."

"Well, that would work then." I agreed. "I don't think there are any Turner's on my side of the family, but I like the name."

Linda sighed. "Boys, this is your children. They need your names."

"But you're giving birth to them." I countered. "And you need to be a part of it somehow."

"That's very sweet of you two. But my mind is made up. I'm here to help carry your children, as a favour to you and an experience for me."

"But why would you help us if you got nothing in return?" Mello asked, his face now melancholy.

She just smiled and shrugged. "You two were always nice to me, even if we didn't hang out all the time. Plus, I love helping people."

I opened my arms and she quickly ran in for a hug.

"You are an amazing person, Linda. Thank you for this."

She gave a quick peck on my forehead and grabbed her things. "It's no trouble at all. I'm glad you two can get what you want… and what you need." She directed that last part to Mello, and he grinned happily at her.

Mello drove her home soon after that and I was alone yet again to think about a last name for our child. In truth, I really wanted to use my name… but it brought up a lot of bad memories with my past. And I didn't want to associate my kids with my terrible past. Mello's name was perfect if we wanted our kids to be part of the noble caste, but the blonde wanted nothing to do with nobility.

So then… what did we choose?


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaaand... I need you guy's help again.  
><em>**

**_You'll see why..._**

**_Enjoy! XD_**

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

"Why can't we just use your name?" I asked irritably, getting annoyed with this argument now.

"Because it holds no power!" He exclaimed. "It's the name of a dirty street urchin who had nothing to his name! Keehl is nobility, and it allows more freedom…"

"Freedom?!" I interrupted forcefully. "You think Mihael Keehl had freedom when he was a kid?! That's a laugh! I wasn't even allowed to scratch my head without being chastised by my parents or caretaker!"

This fight had been going on for days now. Linda was eight months in and the twins would be born any day now. Which meant we needed a last name for them and it had to be soon. I wanted to go with Jeevas because it was a name no one in the noble world knew. If we used my name then more than enough people who knew who Keehl was and would treat my kids differently. I didn't want that, so I demanded we used Matt's name instead. There was the topic of combining names, of course, but Matt still didn't want his old surname being anywhere near his children.

In truth, neither one of us could decide which name was better for our kids.

I finally lied down on the couch and covered my face with a pillow, screaming into it with fervor. I was seriously thinking about just beating some sense into that empty head of Matts.

He sat down beside me with a huff. "Mello, please just let them have your name. Jeevas is a name that makes me remember all the times I was on the street, hyped up on drugs, and eating out of the garbage. How could I associate my kids with something as horrible as that?"

I looked at him from under the pillow. "And Keehl is the name of a noble family who lost their son to a dirty man who used said son as a sex slave for weeks on end! You think I want to associate my kids with THAT!?"

"But Mels, you survived that horror. Not only that, but you were strong enough to overcome your nightmares from that incident and you let go of your anger and contempt. If anything you became a better person because you went through that. Could you imagine your life if you hadn't gone through the torture and had become another fat cat who looked down upon people like me? Hell, we wouldn't even have met if that had never happened to you! I'm not saying it was a good thing… but you're definitely better for the experience."

My heart kind of sank at this. Did he truly mean all that?

"Well, what about you? You aren't a dirty street kid anymore, and you kicked your drug addiction. You became stronger from overcoming your weakness and finding peace and solace in your talents. I know you don't like your name and how you shared it with your abusive father, but that didn't make you abusive. And if living for the streets taught you anything, it taught you independence and learning to live for yourself. You don't rely upon me all the time, and you learned from being abused how to show compassion. You'd never hurt our kids, Matt. And you'd never hurt me. Mail Jeevas, to me, isn't a kid off of the streets. He's a man who earned my heart."

The look on his face was pure happiness. "You mean that?"

I leaned up and kissed his temple. "Of course I do. I love you Matt."

He gave me a peck back. "I love you too, Mels."

I sighed then, resting my head on his shoulder. "So what do we do, then? About our kids? They need a surname."

He hummed. "Well… we could still combine the names. Hyphenate Jeevas and Keehl."

I gave a small huff of a chuckle. "We both suffer the consequences and the positives? I think it would work."

"So now all that's left is their given names." The gamer brought up.

"Alright then." I agreed as I looked up at him. "Our daughter?"

"Melina, pure and simple."

I backed away from him to fully look in his eyes. "Melina? As in the character I played when I was fifteen to help L… that Melina?"

He grinned happily. "Melina is a beautiful name! You have a problem with that?"

"You realize it's dangerously close to 'Mello' right? Are you so sure…?"

"I'm positive." He interrupted. "Melina. It's feminine and powerful…"

"And unoriginal." I stated. "Considering you're just ripping it off from my codename I gave to L."

He merely rolled his eyes. "Okay then, what about our son? What will his name be?"

Now there's a challenge. It seemed like there wasn't really a name for him. I could name him after my father Elliot, but it didn't sound right to me. I wanted him to have a strong name, but it had to mean something as well.

"How about Michael!" The gamer said enthusiastically.

I finally hit him, but not too hard. "Quit it! These are all variations on my name! Do you have no imagination?!"

He shrugged. "Nope!"

I gave a slight sigh. "No 'M' names for him."

"What? Why?!"

I looked him dead in the eye again. "Because if you insist upon Melina then she will be named so. But our son needs his own name. Nothing shared with his sister. He already has to share the same birthday as her, so he needs his own name. They're two different people, Matt. Two different personalities. So I need their names to be a reflection of hoe different they are."

"Hmm… I suppose you're right." He agreed. "Okay, no 'M' related names. So what do we name him? Any ideas?"

"None. I can't think of anyone I might want to name him after."

Before Matt could say anything else, there came a knock at the door. Before long it opened and my parents strode in… with an old friend to boot.

I immediately was happier than ever. "Winston!"

I jumped from the couch and ran to the old man who opened up his arms for a hug. I couldn't believe it was him! It was so unexpected!

"Winston?" I heard Matt question as he stood up to get a better look at the man I was hugging.

After we finished the hug, I introduced my old caretaker to the gamer.

"Matt, this is Winston! He was my old caretaker when I was a child! He's the one that taught me how to read and write, took me to all the parks and stores!"

The older man laughed. "I was your butler, Mihael. Hired by your parents."

I hugged him again. "You were more than that, Winston. You were our family, and I loved you like another father."

"Indeed," my actual father spoke up, still grinning though. "When we told Winston you were still alive he was more than willing to work for you again. However, since you were beginning your own family…"

"If I might speak, my lord?" He asked before turning to me. "I understand you've taken on a life away from the nobility, and I commend you for finding your way. But I would like to offer my assistance to you once more, if I might."

I was happy that Winston wanted to be part of my life once again… but Matt had wanted to raise his family by our own hands. And I agreed with him.

I grinned at the man. "Thank you for the offer, Winston. But I want to raise my family without the need of a butler."

He nodded. "I understand, my young lord. But what I offer is not to help raise your family, but to help care for your home. I understand you and young Matt over there are having a terrible time keeping your house in tip top condition. Plus, I'm more than capable of cooking and cleaning for your family if need be it."

Matt surprised me by grabbing my shoulders. "Mello, think about this. I can't keep this house clean y myself and we're having twins."

And so I did think about it. And I came to a conclusion almost instantly.

"Well then, Winston, if you're so sure you want to help us here are your tasks and you choose whether or not you wish to stay.

"First and foremost, our kids are ours to take care of. That means we do the diaper changes, the playing, the feeding, the love and caring, and on weekends we do the cooking. For you, all we ask is that the estate is kept clean and running. On the very likely chance both Matt and I are incapable to take care of the twins or have stepped out, I leave you in charge of them. Is that a good deal?"

Winston smiled at this and bowed happily to me. "Yes, my lord. I find this to be quite acceptable. If you would like, I have a few people in mind for the rest of the estate to be taken care of. A gardener, a maid, and a guard for you and your family."

Matt then shook me a bit. "Mello, I'm a street kid! This being offered to me is like having heaven on a platter! SAY YES!"

I sighed heavily while pushing Matt away slightly. "Winston, meet my common-law husband Matt. Ignore him, for he knows not what he speaks."

Winston only chuckled. "Might I be able to have them as your crew then?"

"As long as the kids are left to us, yes. You may tell them that they may have a job with us."

"Excellent! I will inform them later tonight and we will all begin tomorrow for work."

Matt shook a bit from excitement. "I almost want to call up my mother and rub all this in her face! She thought I'd amount to nothing, but look at me now!"

While Matt ran off to celebrate – probably by playing a video game – I turned to Winston with a look of embarrassment.

"He's never been part of the rich life before."

The old man merely chuckled, the familiar smile on his face from when I was a kid. "That's alright. He'll soon learn how boring it can be."

I sighed heavily. "I really hope so."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, if any of you have a good name for the boy child, I'd be happy to hear them! Remember, no 'M' names. I'm trying to stay away from them because it's just tiresome. They all start with an 'M' and I want something different. Come on, I know you guys can help! You've done so in the past, and I'll be incredibly grateful if you help me now!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Lots of great name suggestions but I had to pick the one that came up most and had a great feel to it! Thank you all and you're all mazing for helping me out! Lord knows I'm terrible at thinking up good names myself...  
><em>**

**_..._**

**_Anyways! _**

**_Enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I couldn't help but smile at Matt's reactions. We weren't allowed to be by Linda's side because we weren't family technically, but Light thankfully was by her side for us. L wasn't exactly interested in 'the miracle of life' so he stayed with us along with Wammy. Near would join us soon, but he had some business to take care of with Olive. Apparently he had some news he needed to share.

I merely shrugged it off. It was Near. What kind of 'news' would he have? Another case? Boring. I actually hoped it was something like Beyond escaped, but I doubted I'd be that lucky.

We'd been waiting for about three hours now, but I knew this would take longer than this. Unfortunately I knew how long birth would take because of the video in health class some years back. When I was fifteen it was disgusting… but now that it was my child, I really wanted to be there. But, doctor's orders. We weren't allowed to be in the delivery room. And Matt was not pleased.

"Those are my children in there!" He exclaimed, causing some stares. "I should be by her side."

"They're my children too, Matt. Thus the reason the doctor won't let us in. It's terrible and against our rights, but we'll have to deal."

Just before Matt was about to argue, a doctor came out and looked at the two of us. Light was by his side and grinning a bit.

"Miss Linda will not have this birth unless Mello and Matt are present." The brunette replied before sitting beside L.

Matt made for the door to her room as quick as he could. "Finally!"

I followed him at my own pace, smiling at his enthusiasm. The poor man was dying to see his kids.

And it sounded like Linda was dying in general.

The moment I opened the door all I heard was screaming. Linda looked like she was close, but I almost doubted she'd be that fast.

Matt held her hand and I simply watched. That video had scared me as a teenager, but at this moment I didn't mind it. I mean, this was my children! Why shouldn't I be there!?

Linda smiled at me. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

I simply chuckled. "I just might. Use it as blackmail for when those little bastards piss me off. My daughter's boyfriend would get a kick out of it!"

She giggled before shuddering slightly. I could only imagine the pain she was in at this moment.

"Mello," she giggled out a bit, "don't call them that. You'll love them and you know it."

I merely shrugged. Before I could say another thing she screamed again and I could see the head. The doctor reacted immediately.

"We got one head, Miss! Keep pushing!"

Another scream and the baby was almost there.

Now things were getting interesting. Life or death in the next few moments.

"Push!"

Another scream and before we knew it another voice rang out amongst us. The small crying's of an infant seeing new life. And suddenly… I was a dad.

That realization struck me like a blow to the head. I was a dad. Someone who had another to look after and love. My own flesh and blood was right here in this room… and he was all mine.

"It's a boy!" The doctor shouted. "Four point two pounds. A little underweight, but he's a feisty little man!"

Indeed, for the moment he spanked the boy the baby tried to hit back. Something told me this kid was from my contribution to this family.

The nurses took the boy away for tests and shots before they'd bring him back, so now it was time for the second child.

This one took a bit more time, ten or fifteen minute's maybe, but it wasn't a happy sight. The moment she came out… there was no sound. No cries. Just silence. This wasn't good.

The doctors and nurses tried to get her to cry, but nothing was working. Something in my heart broke at this. My daughter… the one daughter I'd always wanted… wasn't going to make it.

Both Linda and Matt saw the pain in my face I suppose, because Matt left her side to hug me. Yes, I was happy to have my son… but…

I don't know if I'm a terrible person for thinking this… but when the thought of not having my girl popped into my head, I reverted back to not wanting kids anymore. It wasn't fair. Why did I have to lose her? Why couldn't I have both? Why was life so cruel!?

At the very moment I felt tears surface, I heard her. I heard her cry and the whole room felt like it was breathing a sigh of relief.

"It's a girl!" The doctor announced. "Four pounds and breathing!"

I hugged Matt with all my might and the gamer hugged me back. Our kids were safe and alive! We'd have the twins after all!

It was maybe another half hour or so before our kids were brought back to us and we were able to hold them for the first time. Their weights were a little under, but the doctor said they were healthy and would be ready to go home after a few days. I didn't care about how long they had to stay here though. As long as they were safe and healthy. As long as I had them.

It was so strange. I had been the one to be against this, but now I'd become so committed to it all. I wanted to be a dad! I wanted to have a son and daughter! And now… I had them. My daughter was safe in my arms, breathing and resting. My son slept peacefully in Linda's arms, not for very long though since he was hungry and demanding food soon enough.

Matt only nodded happily at his boy as he ate. "They boy likes boobs! Good man!"

I shook my head at him. "And if he 'switches' later on?"

The gamer looked at me. "Well, I won't stop him. But with the way he acted after the doc spanked him..."

"Hmm, you may have a point." I agreed, shifting Melina in my arms for a better hold. "Still, it doesn't matter. They both fought valiantly through all this."

"Melina especially." Matt agreed.

"What about your boy?" Linda asked as our son finished up. "Doesn't he have a name?"

That was the main problem. He didn't have a name, and we couldn't find one suitable enough for him.

I looked down at my son and found he was dozing off into Linda's arms once more. I couldn't help but smile at this.

We would be their parents, yes. But Linda had carried and gave birth to them, all for us. She deserved something in return. So…

"Actually, Linda, we want you to name him."

She looked incredibly shocked by this. "Mello, I can't…"

"Yes, you have our permission." I interrupted. "He was the first you had, and you deserve to name him whatever you please. We want you to have something with our children if it can't be a bond as mother and child. Even more, we want you to be part of our lives, as much as you can be. We can't separate them from their mother so easily."

She giggled at me. "Mello, _you're _their mother. I just carried them for you. If you need a babysitter, I'll be there. But I want them to know you're their parents. Not me.

"But, if you insist I name your boy, so be it. I want to name him after my brothers, Lucas and Eli."

"Brothers? I thought you said you were an only child?"

She scoffed. "I meant that in the sense that I have no twin. Technically, I am an only child."

Matt shook his head at her. "I can't believe you kept that from us."

She shrugged him off. "So, Lucas Eli. First and middle name. Yay or nay?"

Lucas and Eli… Lucas Eli Jeevas-Keehl. It was… perfect.

I smiled at her. "I love it. And you loved your brothers."

She smiled back. "More than anything. After I lost my parents, they took me in. Fate decreed I lose them in a car accident… so I think it's only right that your son carries their name. It makes me happy to see them live on in another."

I chuckled at this. "They were twins. Weren't they."

"Like I said," she grinned out, switching Lucas for Melina when she began begging for food. "It runs in the family."

"Remind me not to ask you for another child." Matt started, shifting his arms a bit so Lucas would be more comfortable. "At least for a few years."

I rolled my eyes at him. We weren't having another pregnancy for a while.

A LONG while.

The moment Melina was done her fill, Light and L finally came in to congratulate us on the new arrivals. Behind them was a very quiet Near and an excited looking Olive. I could just feel the news was more than just another case for us to solve.

"I hate to ask this, but what was the news you texted us about a few hours ago, Near?" I inquired.

He didn't say a word. He was to in shock. Olive had to finally stop bouncing and tell us the – rather shocking – news.

"Near and I are going to be parents!"

The room was completely silent. You could almost hear a pin drop in the room it was so silent. This… was definitely news worthy.

I looked at the albino. "And it's yours?"

He nodded, still not saying a word. I think he was too shocked by all this to speak at all. I mean, he did say he didn't want kids. But… here he was. In nine months, he'd be a dad…

I couldn't believe it.

Matt patted my back when all I did was stare at the two. "It happens Mello. And you know it."

"I know, and I don't care that she's pregnant. I'm more shocked that the snowflake actually had sex!"


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: And another chapter down. There may be another one tonight though so stick around!  
><em>**

**_As always, you guys are awesome! Your feedback is amazing! And Reviews are always welcomed! I hope you enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

The damn blonde wouldn't stop laughing at me! I didn't see what was so funny about this! It was absolutely disgusting! I couldn't believe I'd actually done something so gross!

Mello couldn't even stand up he was laughing so hard. He just lay there, on the floor, holding his gut from laughter. "And you drank two cups! Oh my god, I'm fucking losing it!"

I gargled water once more and spat out the nasty drink. "I thought it was whole milk! Fuck you for allowing me to drink breast milk!"

Mello started wheezing he was laughing so hard. "TWO CUPS! YOU DRANK TWO CUPS OF BREAST MILK!"

Winston soon walked in when he heard the commotion. "Is everything alright, my lord?"

The blonde finally stood up and leaned on a chair. "Everything's fine, Winston. Matt just drank breast milk by accident."

"YOU LET ME!" I argued. "YOU SAW ME POUR IT INTO THE CUP AND YOU SAID NOTHING!"

He promptly started to laugh again and had to exit the room. "I can't…! I just can't…!"

I followed him, still a bit angry that this happened. "Don't you DARE tell Linda this!"

He was still giggling when he picked up Lucas to give him his bottle. "Oh my god, that was so funny! I can't believe you did that!"

I growled. "When will they be off of breast milk so I can leave this terrible experience behind?"

His laughter finally died down and he answered as he set our six month old son back down on the couch beside his sister. "When thy turn one we can start on more solid foods."

I growled again. "Which means you're never going to let this go, are you."

He shook his head. "Never, Matt. And you wanna know what the worst part is?"

I got scared then. "What?"

He pointed to a security camera. "L helped plant cameras EVERYWHERE in this estate. Everywhere but the bathrooms. So this means…"

He didn't have to tell me. I instantly fell to the floor in despair and begged for my life to turn back so I could stop myself from drinking my kid's breast milk.

Both Lucas and Melina started giggling at me the moment I dropped to the floor.

"Great! Now my damn kids are laughing at me! I knew they were your seed!"

"They just have good taste in humour, Matt." He giggled out before walking off to grab something for our daughter.

Six months we'd been parents now, and the first few weeks were absolute torture. There was crying – from both the babies and us – and for weeks I was deprived of any sort of sexual activities with Mello, which made the both of us moody. Not to mention the twins had two completely different personalities, likes, and dislikes. Not to mention their schedules fluctuated between the two. Feeding time for Lucas was twice in the mornings, three times at night, and at least once late at night when we slept. Melina, however, was once in the morning, once at noon, and twice at night. However, more times than not she didn't want to eat what we gave her, but she needed to drink the breast milk for her to gain some weight, so we had to trick her into eating what we gave her.

The diaper changes were much the same, but Lucas always hid from us when it was his time, while Melina just sat back and did as told. These two were almost complete opposites, and it almost made us tear our hair out.

The only thing the two shared common interest in… was chocolate.

And that was when I started realizing whose genes they had gotten. When they started teething we tried everything to numb the pain. When Mello sat down one day, opening up a chocolate bar to help him think, both Lucas and Melina were interested in the chocolate. Sure enough, it helped with their teething pains. Especially when we froze said chocolate. Of course, this helped me to believe that they were, in fact, Mello's kids. Not to mention they both had blonde hair.

I soon decided that any kids we wanted in the future, would be all mine. I don't need three Mello's around to keep me crazy. One was enough.

I couldn't prove they were his kids, however, since Lucas had the same interest in video games as me. But, maybe that was just the kid starting to show interest in the world. Melina did have the same green eyes as me, but I was always told that green eyes were a mutation and couldn't be passed down. However, there was no mistaking it. Our eye colours were the same. And apparently green eyes were more dominant over blue, which Mello had. There was a small possibility that these were in fact my kids. But I decided that it didn't matter. They were still my kids, even if they didn't carry my genes.

Mello came back as soon as he left with a small blue blanket in his arms. "It's Melina's nap right now, so that means you have to give Lucas his bath."

"Right after he ate?" I asked, knowing the kid was planning something.

One look at the tiny blonde boy, still with a bottle in his hands, he looked back at me with a loving smile. Yup... he was definitely up to something.

Mello chuckled as he scooped up Melina and wrapped her in her warm blanket. "It'll be fine, Matt. Just burp him then give him a bath. He should be good for a nap afterwards."

I had to admit, Mello had this parenting thing down to an art form. Granted, we were both still relatively new to this, but he was hanging in there better than I was. Maybe he had more patience for this than I thought.

I did as told and before long both our kids were fast asleep. They'd wake up in about two hours, begging for food no doubt, and we'd have to be parents yet again. For now though, we could just be Matt and Mello.

The blonde himself took to the couch instantly and I joined him soon after. I knew he loved being a dad, but I also knew he was frustrated sometimes. Especially since the twins were double the work and double the trouble. Honestly, if I could count all the times they crawled off from us in this past week alone.

I pecked the man on his temple. "Tired?"

He moaned. "That's an understatement. I wish they'd just grow up already."

I couldn't help but smile. "And when they're adults you'll want them to be your babies again. The cycle will never end."

He half-heartedly chuckled. "I suppose you're right. But at least when they're older and doing things for themselves we can have some alone time again."

"We'd have alone time now if you didn't insist on Winston to leave the parenting to us." I reminded.

He merely scoffed as he fell back into his seat and began to slumber a bit.

Our estate was largely taken care of by Winston as a result of good timing. We'd had hired the three people he spoke to us about, but they were soon let go due to lack of satisfactory work. The maid was terrible at keeping the home tidy, the guard had fallen asleep on the job, and the gardener let all the roses die. It wasn't surprising that we let them go, but we still needed staff on hand here. We'd just have to keep looking I suppose.

Right before I was about to fall asleep I heard the front door open and close. Before long I heard a very familiar voice from behind me.

"Nap time for everyone I see."

I looked towards the tired looking snowball Near. "Even you it looks like. How's Olive doing?"

He grumbled a bit. "She's a bit moody. Tomorrow she should be a bit better. But I'm really hating the idea of fatherhood at the moment."

I heard Mello scoff a bit of laughter. "I'm still amazed at you, Near. Actually having sex with someone… that's gotta be an accomplishment for you."

"The fact that you landed a man at all amazes _me_, Mello. Considering your personality."

The blonde opened his eyes to look up at him. "Me-ow, who lit the fuse on your tampon shorty?"

The snowflake merely grumbled. "I told you before that I didn't want any kids, Mello. They're nothing but dirty, grimy, loud, and absolutely useless! This is a waste of my time, and Olive's. I wish she'd listened to me and just…"

"Don't go there, freak." The blonde started up. "You cursed yourself with this when you said you were never having kids. This is the universe's way of saying 'fuck you'. Just deal with it, I'm sure you won't hate it as much as you say that you will."

"Mello, I'm barely past my twenties! L hasn't even picked his successor yet! If I have a child and I get picked, it'll be more work for me!"

"L already picked his successor." I reminded. "It's in an envelope hidden away somewhere until the day he dies. Which, let's face it, won't happen for a while yet."

"Needless to say, I don't have time for a child!" Near argued. "Not to mention I'm not even a fan of children, so I'm gonna end up hating my own child…!"

Mello finally got up from his seat, walked over to the man before us and slapped him clear across the face. I honestly didn't know what to think of this. What he doing it for his own kids, or for Near? Either way it did the trick. Near stopped complaining long enough for Mello to get through to the white ball of fluff.

"Listen here, freak. I didn't want kids in the beginning either, but your opinion will change. I know you aren't ready, and I wasn't either. But guess what, the paternal attachment kicks in sooner than you think. You love Olive?"

The albino blinked. "Y-yes?"

"Then you'll love your kid. Now quit with…"

Right before Mello could end his argument, Near's phone began to ring. He answered it swiftly, probably trying to get out of Mello's yell-fest, when his face became grim.

"What! But you aren't due for three more months!"

I jumped at that. "Is Olive alright?!"

He looked scared now as he looked at me. "Light says L took her to the hospital because her water broke! She's way too early!"

Mello turned to me. "Stay with the kids and I'll take Near to the hospital!"

"Mel…"

"No, Matt! The less people worrying about this around Olive the better!" He demanded as he grabbed his coat and made a run for the door, Near already outside and waiting.

I gave a small kiss to the blonde. "Call me if anything happens."

He nodded before rushing out the doors to his car.

This wasn't good. A child that isn't carried to full term is… well… I hated to say it. But they were a lost cause. Something must have happened in the womb to make the baby come early, and it never was a good thing. Linda had been lucky enough to be able to carry twins to full term, but she had still risked what was happening now. It was a scary thought to know my children could have died. Hell, Melina already had a scare for us.

But this…

…this was far from what happened to Melina…


	8. Chapter 8

**_A/N: Well... I kind of decided to add Near into this story, but only because it would get confusing if I gave him his own story arc in the middle of this one...  
><em>**

**_..._**

**_Okay, and I'm too lazy to start another story right now._**

**_..._**

**_Anyways..._**

**_Thank you all and enjoy the chapter!_**

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><p><strong>(Near P.O.V)<strong>

_"You're kidding me…" I said, feeling my heart drop. "But just last month you said…"_

_"I know what I said, Near." She interrupted me. "But with Mello and Matt having a family, it makes me think I was wrong. What if we started our own family?"_

_I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Olive, I'm not like them! I can't deal with kids and you know we haven't… you know… done anything."_

_She crossed her arms. "And so what was last week?"_

_I got a bit snarky at this. "A very poor performance on my part considering I was a virgin."_

_It had been some months since I met Olive and we were more than meant for each other. She was the only one I thought of as a permanent partner for me, and we were hardly separated from each other. I loved her, this was true, but starting a family? Just because Mello and Matt were having one? This wasn't right._

_"I'm sorry, Olive. But I'm going to have to put my foot down on this. We can't just have a child together, especially with us being so young."_

_"But Near, you don't know that this is a bad thing. Haven't you ever even thought about having children someday?"_

_"To be honest, no. Because I truly thought I'd never even lose my virginity. And the only reason I did at all was because you ran the show most of the time."_

_She held my hands then. "Will you please just think about it? For me?"_

I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I ran up to the hospital doors, Mello following close behind. I promised her I'd think about it, and not too long afterwards she was pregnant. She'd been so excited while I just went along with the idea of becoming a father. But she knew it wasn't what I wanted.

L had given us my savings, a home, and all the things we needed to start our family. Much like Matt and Mello, I was set for the family life. But, unlike them, I wasn't quite ready. And right before all this happened… I'd had another fight with Olive about it.

_"Why are you being so jaded about this, Near?!" She yelled._

_"Because I don't want kids! They're not worth my time! I'm not a dad, Olive, I'm a replica of L…!"_

_"L! You aren't L, you're Near! Despite what you believe you'd be a great father! Quit acting like a child yourself and grow up!"_

I left after that and left her alone in the house. And that was the biggest mistake I'd made. No, I hadn't wanted children…

But I still wanted Olive.

It was a good thing Light stopped by to check on us because he found Olive writhing in pain on the floor, which had shown that her water had broken. It was all my fault. I chose to fight with her about this and left her on her own. I was a terrible person to have done that and now the one person I loved most. Now… now I may lose her.

We hurried to find Olive's room and the moment we did we could see that there was no turning back from the birth. My baby was arriving tonight… and it was putting a strain on Olive.

I took her hand instantly and she turned to look at me. "Near… I'm scared…"

"Don't be." I tried to sound brave for her. "Everything will be fine, you'll see."

She screamed again at another contraction and I felt my stomach churn in pain. I'd done this to her. I'd done all of this. And now…

The doctor started to hurry now. "Push my dear! She's almost through!"

_'She?'_ I thought. _'How does he know the baby's a she? Unless…'_

The baby was breaching. That wasn't good for either Olive or my child. When a baby breached it meant that there was more strain in the birthing process, which put more strain on Olive's heart. Not to mention the baby would suffocate if it wasn't brought out soon.

I couldn't help myself and I took control of the situation.

"Mello, hold her hand!" I commanded the blonde and he did so without question.

When I knew she had something stronger to hold onto I pushed the doctor aside and found the breaching child.

"Olive, next time you feel a contraction I want you to push with everything you've got! Okay!?"

She nodded, and before long there was another contraction and she pushed.

I didn't care how dirty the situation got. I couldn't lose either my love or my child. If there was no other way, then one had to live… just one.

But I'd save both.

"Young man…!" The doctor tried, but I paid no attention. This was life or death for my family and I knew how to save them.

"PUSH!" I demanded, grabbing the stubby legs of my child.

Another scream ripped through the air and more of my child slid out.

"ONE LAST PUSH!" I screamed.

Another shrill from Olive and the baby was out. It was now that I could see why the baby was early.

The umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around the baby's torso, cutting off not only its food source, but most of the air to her lungs.

I worked quickly to cut the umbilical cord off from her torso and the minute she was released from her binds she began crying, colour coming to her skin. And, in that moment, I was a daddy.

I got lost in the thoughts of being her dad that I barely registered the doctors and nurses crowding around us to make sure she was alright.

She was so tiny… barely bigger than my hand. She was only maybe two pounds from what I could guess. But she was so goddamned beautiful. It was like an angel had been dropped into my arms and set aglow with pure loveliness. And she was all mine. My family. My own flesh and blood right before me. How lucky I was to have been here to save her.

The doctors took her away soon afterwards and Mello had to stop me from running after her.

"Near, she's three months early. They have to take her to intensive care to make sure she's alright." He explained.

I tried to listen to him, but thought of my daughter being poked and prodded like an animal made me angry. No one should touch her other than me! I was her father! I'd decide if she was alright!

Mello sat me down in a chair then. "You did a good thing getting her out, but she's not able to go home yet. She might not be able to for a while. Please, just stay by Olive's side and leave the rest to them."

That's when the proud mother finally spoke up in a weak voice. "It's a girl!? Is it really!?"

I smiled happily at her. "It is. And she's as beautiful as her mother."

Olive finally relaxed. "What do we name her then? I thought we had an extra three months to decide, but I guess now we have to think of a name."

I couldn't help the chuckles. "She needs a strong name. One that shows how much she fought to be alive today."

Olive giggled as well. "Lara."

Mello chuckled. "Like the video game character? Why her?"

I knew the answer to it. "Lara is a beautiful, strong, independent young lady with the brains and know-how of a genius. And Olive loved playing Tomb Raider with Matt when they had the chance."

"Lara." She repeated. "It fits her perfectly."

"And she's a Brit." Mello added. "I'd say it fits her quite nicely." He then backed away from me. "Now, to get you a towel."

Indeed. It would seem I hadn't cared to notice how much of a mess helping give birth would be. All I cared for was keeping my family safe.

I couldn't believe how right Mello had been to say that parenthood would come to me in a matter of seconds. And now, for the first time in my life, my world revolved around a child. My child. My lovely Lara.


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N: I have the strangest feeling most of you will like this chapter. Call it a sorry for not making a ship happen in the original trilogy that started all this. You'll know the one by the end of the chapter!  
><em>**

**_Enjoy!_**

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><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

"Da!" He said again. "Da! Da-da!"

I couldn't help the smile on my face. "That's right! I'm your da!"

Mello only chuckled. "And what does that make me?"

Of course he directed the question to me, but Lucas still looked up at the man and smiled. "Daddy!"

The blonde almost bust a gut laughing. "The kid plays dumb around you!"

I merely growled at him. "You're changing him tonight."

"Fine, then you're changing the apparent third child that you want."

I sunk into myself a bit, still holding Lucas closely. I'd accidentally let it slip that I wanted another child to take care of, but I meant after the twins turned two or three. Right now was obviously not a good time to bring another baby into the world, but the option was out there.

Mello let it slide now, too wrapped up in playtime with our small little wonders. They'd just turned one a few days ago and we were enjoying the time we had with them for the moment before L, Light, Near, Olive, and Linda all came by. They'd be bringing Lara along with them, of course, but the tables were turned in everyone's favour for the moment.

It turns out that Lara had inherited more than a few of her father's genes. She had crisp white hair like him, but nice silvery eyes instead of dark orbs like his. She was quite tiny for her age, but that was due to the pregnancy situation. But more than anything, she inherited his genius. She was already speaking now and she was only six months old. It wasn't your typical 'mama' and 'dada' though. No, she understood and spoke with you. Our own kids were much the same, but only just started understanding what we were saying in front of them.

Next thing you know, they'd be wisecracking us worse than we did to each other. But hopefully that wouldn't be for a few years now.

Melina was growing into a beautiful young girl. Her blonde hair had grown longer now and she desperately wanted us to read to her most times. Like her daddy, she loved stories. And she could sit there for hours while you read to her.

Lucas on the other hand was much more physical. The moment he stood on his two legs that was it for us. We always had to chase him, and if he wasn't running, he was climbing, clawing, or generally being… well… like Mello when he was ten. I did not look forward to the day when Lucas turned ten… or fifteen… or even however old Mello was now.

There was no mistaking it. These were from his seed.

But, yet again, we said nothing about it. As far as the kids knew, they were both _ours._ Next pregnancy though, I would make sure Mello didn't contribute.

The blonde lied down on the floor and breathed a sigh of happiness before a small book smacked him in the face. Another look and our little Mina – a small nickname Lucas gave her when he couldn't pronounce her name properly – was begging to be read to again.

Lucas Eli Jeevas-Keehl, and Miss Melina Amelia Jeevas-Keehl, were indeed a handful.

Mello grinned as he looked up at her. "Would you like me to read to you?"

She nodded. "Yes peez."

I grinned at that. 'L's were a difficult part for the talking process with children. In fact, neither one of them at the moment could pronounce an 'L' in it. It sort of made us laugh at the irony knowing L – our adoptive parent – loved them as much as we did.

We didn't know how the kids were supposed to address L or Light, seeing as how they were our parental figures but not exactly old enough to be grandparents, so we didn't think about it. Whatever they called them was completely up to them.

Another thing with the 'L's though, was that they both had at least one 'L' in their names, so when pronouncing each other's names, they came out 'Luca' and 'Mina'. We decided to keep these nicknames as a form of endearment, but whenever they were in trouble – which was bound to happen – the full names would be used.

Mello took the book off of his face and Mina snuggled up to her daddy.

"'The Velveteen Rabbit.'" He spoke the title before chuckling. "I've read this to you six times since yesterday, my dear! Isn't there anything else you want me to read?"

She shook her head. "My favit."

I heard Lucas grumble before crawling away. But he didn't get too far since I grabbed his ankle and pulled him back into my lap. Poor kid just wanted to explore and I wasn't giving him the chance to.

Mello sat up then and leaned against the couch. Melina promptly sat in his lap and awaited her daddy to start reading to her.

The blonde happily obliged to the tiny bookworm.

He opened the book to the first page and began the story. "There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears were lined with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wedged in the top of the Boy's stocking, with a sprig of holly between his paws, the effect was charming."

On he read, the little girl admiring the pictures and enjoying all the words. Truly she was like her daddy. She enjoyed immersing herself in words and pictures, leaving the real world behind for it held no interest to her. And why should it? Why should she see the real world when stories were far more interesting?

Lucas, after a bit of fighting with me, settled down and listened to the story as well. Yes, it was an old one, but it was still fascinating if you listened to the words.

I noticed Near and the others walk in while Mello read on and held up a finger to my lips so they'd know to be quiet. Mello himself had no idea they were there, however. He was too busy tending to his daughter's imagination.

He was just about done now. "Autumn passed and Winter, and in the Spring, when the days grew warm and sunny, the Boy went out to play in the wood behind the house. And while he was playing, two rabbits crept out from the bracken and peeped at him. One of them was brown all over, but the other had strange markings under his fur, as though long ago he had been spotted, and the spots still showed through. And about his little soft nose and his round black eyes there was something familiar, so that the Boy thought to himself:

"_'Why, he looks just like my old Bunny that was lost when I had scarlet fever!'_

"But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, come back to look at the child who had first helped him to be Real."

Melina hugged her daddy happily. "Again!"

Mello chuckled at her. "No, sweetheart, not until later. We have family coming over remember."

"Yeah, and they want to hear the story from the beginning!" L started up making Mello turn to him.

He happily stood from his seat on the floor and went to hug both L and Light. Melina looked confused as to why the blonde was so happy to see them. Even Lucas was a bit muddled by the sight. Their confusion turned to fear though when we picked them up to introduce them fully to the two, plus Near and Olive.

After a few seconds though, Mina took to Light and hugged him happily. Lucas, however, was more distracted with the small snowball in Near's arms. I couldn't say what it was exactly, but the boy looked… infatuated? There was no way…

The little girl in Near's arms looked back at Lucas and smiled at him. And, with that, my boy hid his face in my chest.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and I didn't know whether or not Mello should find out. I had to believe this was nothing though. Lucas was only a year old, and Lara was barely crawling. Still…

Once we were all settled down, I got a better look at the new father Near had become.

The way he looked at his daughter was almost the same way Mello did with his own. There was love and protectiveness there, and his smile was warm. Something told me Near had a hard time putting down his daughter and letting Olive take the reins.

Lucas didn't leave my lap for a long while. All he did was steal glances at Lara. Something was going on in his mind…

If only I knew though.

Lara suddenly tapped on her father's chest and he leaned in to listen to her. Before long he was smiling again.

He looked at me. "She wants to say hello to Lucas."

I looked down at the, rather unlike him, shy boy. "Well, Lucas? Can she be your friend?"

Just as we thought nothing would come out of his mouth, Lara smiled at him again grabbing a lock of her snowy white hair.

"Hello." Her small voice broke out.

Lara was definitely smarter than the average bear. It wasn't common for a six month old to speak as clear as she had, but there it was. A small and simple hello. Right in front of us.

As smart as her daddy I suppose.

Near was amazed. "She's never spoken out loud before."

Olive nodded in agreement with him. "She always whispers to us instead. She's usually really shy."

The room went silent then and Lucas finally replied.

"Hi…"

And, as their eyes locked, I could almost see the connection between the two. Near and Mello were going to have a hissy fit in the coming years, but I think they looked good together.

They had my support fully.


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: I got bored in the middle of class so I wrote a short chapter for you guys!  
><em>**

**_Uh oh... teacher's about to yell at me for being on laptop... _**

**_Enjoy!_**

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I couldn't believe Matt talked me into another pregnancy. Even more, that Linda completely agreed – once again – to help us out! The difference this time? I warned Matt that if we had more than one he took care of them all himself. He agreed, saying that it was near impossible to have twins a second time.

That poor sap. If he only knew what was going on inside Linda.

Because Matt believed Melina and Lucas were all mine, I agreed to let him have a larger contribution this time around in hopes for a kid that was more like him… but, chances being larger than before, there was definitely a child that was most like him now. That poor man. I sometimes felt sorry for him.

Then again… he asked for this.

Literally.

Melina and Lucas were a year and a half now, and Matt thought it was a good idea to have more kids. I decided to just go along with him, giving him my warning, and didn't say anything more on the topic. I knew Matt well enough that he wanted a large family with many kids, but we still hadn't adopted one like I was promised. It wasn't like I hadn't looked, but I just couldn't find the right child to take in yet. I mostly looked at Wammy's, but there were other places as well where I looked.

Many of the children I considered were debatable, but there was something missing that I couldn't quite find. But what was it?

I told Linda of my little deal with Matt while we were driving home from the doctors. She seemed sympathetic about the whole thing.

"Well, Mello, you don't have to find them right away. You could still find them later on. The right kid is waiting for you and Matt."

"But with the current news, I don't know that Matt would accept another child in a few years."

She giggled. "You should call it payback for this pregnancy. Only Matt could wish this kind of luck upon the two of you."

"Well, you heard him. Any more than one and he takes full responsibility over them. But I'm amazed that you're willing to go through with this again."

Once again, she giggled. "I told you before, I love to help. And the fact that you two paid me so well last time made me want to help out once more. You'll have to pay me for each kid though."

"With interest." I added, smiling to myself. "Plus tip since Matt is going to lose it when we give him the news."

"Oh my, and Near is at the estate as well with Lara. This ought to be interesting."

"Yet again, I shall pay you handsomely for all this." I assured as I parked the car.

Linda followed me to the door. "So, I hear Lucas is getting close to Lara. Does this bother Near?"

"To no end." I grinned out. "But I doubt there's anything there. Lucas is only a year and a half, and Lara is barely a year old."

"I'd like to remind you that you and Matt fell in love at ten years old."

I scoffed. "That was different."

"How so? You two were much too young to know what love was yet here you are now. Two children, soon to be more, a happy couple and loving parents. Who's to say Lucas won't find the same with Lara?"

I grumbled at that. "Lucas doesn't need her. She's probably just like her annoying father. Full of herself, big headed, and snarky. She'd probably break his heart. And he doesn't deserve that."

We got to the door and I saw the look of pride on Linda's face. "What a sweet mother you're being. Lucas is so lucky."

"Oh shut it, missy." I growled out as I opened the door for her.

**(Near P.O.V)**

I liked Matt and Mello's twins, really I did. But with Lucas I was wary. This boy would not leave my daughter be, and she didn't push him away. Not to mention that she would whisper to him which made him blush. I didn't like how close they were getting, and I was debating whether or not to have another child with Linda just so Lara would have someone other than Lucas to be around. I tried to remember that they were just children and had no notion of what love was, but I didn't want to encourage anything with them.

I knew that Melina and Lucas were Mello's kids. I knew he and Matt shared parenthood, but they were definitely from Mello's seed. This meant Lucas was a tease and a sneak, and my daughter deserved better than that. Even if he was Matt's child, which I doubted, it would still not be a perfect match.

Yes, Mello broke my heart when he chose Matt over me. I got over it and now had someone who deserved my love, but I would not have Lara go through the same thing. So I would make sure her heart remained in one piece.

It was a bit difficult when Matt demanded a play date every now and then. Much like today.

But Lara seemed more interested in her puzzle than Lucas today, so my worry lessened. My attention, for the moment, now turned to the news of another pregnancy for Linda.

"How on earth did you talk him into having another kid?" I said, feeling Mello's pain at the moment.

He shrugged. "I think he wanted to avoid an argument and said yes. However, if there's more than one, I have to care for them completely by myself."

"Well, that seems more than fair." I agreed. "Seeing Linda's track record that is."

"I doubt very much that she's having more than one. The odds are against her."

I sipped my cup of tea, taking a glance at Lara to make sure she was alright. "You're going to regret saying that."

He merely scoffed, not believing he was in trouble.

How wrong he was.

Mello and Linda soon entered the estate, a large smile on the blonde's face, and soon settled down from the trip. I could just tell Matt was doomed.

"So?" The red head asked, drawing out the word.

Mello's grin widened. "Well… it's not twins."

Matt chuckled haughtily. "Looks like we're both on diaper duty, Mello."

Both Mello and Linda glanced at each other before Linda spoke up next.

"One's no fun, two's a company, but three's a crowd, Matt. And you have to care for a crowd! Luck you!"

I had to hold my breath in order for me not to laugh at Matt's reaction. The kids looked more than confused at the moment, but Matt understood completely what was going on.

"You can't be serious!" He demanded.

"Dead serious," Mello replied. "The doctor was amazed. First twins, now triplets. He's quite worried for her health. So, Linda's going to stay with us until after their birth. She's at risk to having them early, and if she can't carry them there might be a caesarean procedure involved."

Linda merely shrugged off the subject. "I carried the twins to full term, didn't I? This will be a piece of cake. But I'll take you up on your offer to stay here until then. I feel like being spoiled."

Mello chuckled. "Don't get cocky, Linda. Matt did and now he has to care for triplets all on his own.

Matt tried to chuckle through the shock. "You… you don't really mean that. D-do you?"

The blonde cocked an eyebrow at him. "You wanted another child, and you agreed that if there was more than one you'd care for them. Sorry, Mattie."

The red head finally went quiet as he stood from his seat and walked off towards the kitchen.

"What's wrong, Matt?" The blonde called after him, a coy smile on his face. "Thirsty? Want some more milk?"

He paused for a second before walking off again.

I blinked as Lara crawled into my lap. "What was that about the milk?"

Mello kept up his smile. "You are going to love this story."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Let me know what you want the kids names to be!_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: Yet again I cannot sleep, so I wrote out a chapter to make the time fly. Now it's three a.m, and I have school in a few hours._**

**_So, with that, goodnight and _****_Enjoy!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

"So, what exactly are the details for this pregnancy again?" I asked the blonde before me. He had been changing Melina when I asked so he didn't answer right away.

"Well," he said as he finished up. "It's triplets, like I told you, but there's a bit of a catch. There's one female and two males. The males are identical or from the same egg, as it were."

"Alright then, I've already got a name for the boys. Fred and George."

"No." Mello replied forcefully.

"What! Why not!? Is this because you hate Harry Potter?"

"With a passion, Matt." He admitted. "Honestly, what exactly is the fascination with the series? All Harry does is go to school, gets into trouble, gets out of trouble, learns something, and then goes home. Honestly, it's a cheap plot and it only got better near the end when things FINALLY took a sharp turn. Should've killed the little brat in the beginning when they had the chance. Not to mention Voldemort was so god damned stupid."

"How so?"

He scoffed at me. "The guy gets his powers bounced back at him, I get that he might be hurt and everything now, but seriously? He just runs off? Doesn't even order one of his followers to kill the brat while he's an infant child with no magical abilities? How stupid can you get!? Not to mention he's had plenty of other opportunities to kill Harry, but each time he fails! How hard is it to pick up a PVC pipe and hit the little bastard over the head!? Rowling left so many plot holes in her story and I'm ashamed I even read the whole series!"

I blinked at him. "Wow, you really have a hate for the classics."

"You're not a writer, you wouldn't understand. Point is, you aren't naming our kids after her characters. I forbid it!"

I sighed heavily. "Come on! Fred and George! They're twins, both don't have a rhyming name, they don't share anything in their names…"

"And they're both little bastards." He added. "It's a no, Matt."

I grumbled. "You never let me have any fun."

He looked up at me with a small smirk. "How old are you?"

"Shut up." I replied back, crossing my arms. "So then what do you want to name them?"

Mello picked up Mina and held her in his arms. "The girl I want to name Roxanne."

I was about to debate that with him… but I couldn't. It was a nice name. Strong, but feminine. Short, yet carried. I approved.

"Okay, I'll give you that. That's a really nice name. But what about the boys? What should we name them?"

He sighed. "Matt, I've had two kids, and with this same problem. Just think of a few names and we'll just decide which is best."

I sighed heavily before a name suddenly came to me. I really didn't want to use it though because of my past… but I thought about how much better it would be for redemption on his part.

"Andrei." I whispered just loud enough for Mello to hear it.

"Andrei? Isn't that your father's name? Why would you…?"

"Because last time I saw him he left me with the truth. He loved me… but he just wasn't a good enough father for me. Maybe… I don't know… maybe his name can be redeemed if I pass it down to my child. Or maybe I'm just being stupid."

The blonde suddenly hugged me tightly, still holding Melina. "You aren't being stupid, Matt. You just have a big heart, and a lot of love to give. I know how you feel about your father… but this is such a grown up thing to do."

"So, you like the name? Really?"

He nodded. "These kids can give a new meaning to the name. Something much better than its origin, believe me."

I got scared then. The triplets… they were most likely mine above Mello's. What if I…

"No!" I demanded as I pushed him away slightly. "We can't use it! I won't have my kids associated with a past like mine! We'll think of another name…"

"Matt." He interrupted, calming me down. "I know you love your kids, and I know you had a terrible past, but you have to trust that everything will be fine. Please think about what you have compared to your own father. He had nothing and no means of being a better father to you, but he still did the right thing and let you go. He loved you… and it was because he loved you that he let you go. If he hadn't, then yes… you may have become an exact replica of him. And he knew that, I think."

I felt my heart tear apart at this. I hadn't spoken with my father in years now, but last I saw him he told me he loved me and wished he'd been better for me. I knew he meant it too. The look in his eyes spoke truth. For that father… the one he'd wanted to be… the one he was in the end… I could do him this small justice.

I wiped away a surfacing tear. "Andrei… I like the name. And if he's anything like me," I laughed at the thought, "he'll be too lazy to become my father."

Mello hugged me again before chuckling at me. "We still need one more name for the last kid."

I couldn't help but try. "How about Link? You know… like… legend of Zelda?"

He scoffed once again. "Like the video game franchise you played for two weeks straight?"

"Hey! Gannon was a difficult boss!"

He blinked. "You beat him in twenty minutes in Ocarina of Time, slayed him in Windwaker, annihilated him in Twilight Princess, and I won't even mention the first Legend of Zelda game…"

"Good, because I'm not proud of that." I admitted. "Come on, Link's a good name! Hero of Hyrule, holds the triforce of courage…!"

He sighed heavily, Melina continuing to stare at me like I was going insane. "Matt, how can you go from being completely overwhelmed at remembering your past, to being happy-go-lucky in a few short minutes? I at least take a few hours before I'm ready to be human again after a painful memory."

I shrugged. "That's the way I was built I suppose."

Before Mello could retaliate, we heard something crash and break from up the stairs. Once we turned our attention to the sound, we saw Linda standing at the top of the staircase, holding her stomach.

Could she…?

"Boys… hospital… now!" She spoke, her breathing laboured.

Mello reacted immediately. "Winston!"

The old man appeared in no time. "Yes my lord?"

"Stay here and watch the twins! We have to take Linda to the hospital! Her water broke early!"

"Six months, blondie!" I reminded him as I followed him to the top of the stairs to help Linda. "You owe me head later!"

The blonde laughed at that. "Try seven months, goggles!"

Linda giggled half-heartedly. "He's right, Matt. They're two months early."

I grumbled. "Dammit."

About a month or so ago both Mello and I made a bet to see how long Linda would last. I thought for sure she'd go into labour at around six months, but Mello knew she could hold out for longer. To be honest, with how big her stomach got from those three babies inside her, I didn't think she'd last at all. But, it looked like she was prepared for anything.

We got Linda in the car as soon as we could and immediately drove off to the hospital. It was evening now, which was usually a calm time for us. But I guess today was going to be a bit different.

On the way there, Linda tried to talk through the pain.

"What… what names… did you pick?" She asked, breathing through the contractions.

"Roxanne for the girl," Mello replied, "and Andrei for one of the boys."

"We still haven't decided on the last one. Any ideas, Linda?"

She smiled a bit as she gripped through another contraction. I was sitting in the back with her at the moment so she could have my hand to hold onto during the painful moments.

She finally spoke again. "Mason? Would that work? My father's name was Mason."

Mello nodded as he swerved a corner while driving. "First boy out that's his name."

"His middle name has to be Link!" I demanded.

I could feel the eye roll coming from the man. "Mason Link? Are you so sure about that, Matt?"

"It could work! Imagine getting really mad at him for not doing his chores!" I added. "'Mason Link! I told you to do the dishes!'."

There was a slight pause before he hummed a bit. "I suppose it works. And Andrei? Any middle names you want to give him?"

"Why am I doing all the naming?!" I demanded to know.

"Because you asked for these kids." He said bluntly. "So, any middle names?"

I growled before thinking up a few names. "Andrei Light?"

Mello had to glance at me to see if he was hearing correctly. "You mean our Light? Light Yagami?"

"Yeah, why not! Light was like a mother to us! He deserves to have some part of this! Plus it adds two parental names in one kid!"

The car stopped in the emergency lane Mello got out to help with Linda getting into the hospital.

Once he had her arm around him. "And Roxanne?"

I'd already had a name for her. "Roxanne Kenzie."

He chuckled a bit. "Okay, where, from the far reaches of your ass, did you pull that name from?"

I merely grinned. "Kenzie was my next door neighbor when I lived in Russia. When my father was out one time for an entire week she helped to feed me and taught me where all the best places to find food was. I owe my life to her."

Mello smiled back at me. "Well then, I believe we're ready for our next set of kids."

I chuckled nervously as we helped Linda through the front doors. "You aren't really leaving me to care for all three of them by myself… are you?"

At the moment the doctors saw Linda they hurried to get her into a room. Only after they took her away did he answer my question.

"Tell you what," he began, "since you lost the bet – and now have to service me – if you do a good enough job… I might help you out."

I sighed heavily. "Ever the negotiator. However, I've never left you feeling unpleased, so I'll take you up on that offer!"

Before long the doctors came back to get us and we were allowed to be by Linda's side once more. The girl was hanging on there to. It looked as though a caesarean would not be necessary… but this was going to take a long while. Winston, upon Mello's request much earlier on before Linda went into labour, had even informed Light and L that Linda had gone into labour and was now giving birth. They arrived shortly afterwards and awaited the arrival of our new little ones.

Sure enough, after two long hours, Andrei was the first to come out, his brother Mason following close behind. They were normal weight, surprisingly enough, but that meant Roxanne might be just a bit smaller.

A half hour later, Miss Roxanne arrived and the triplets were complete. No problems with them that the doctors could see either. All three were perfectly healthy, despite being early.

It was at least a few more hours before we got to hold them, and I was in amazement once more at how small they were. Melina and Lucas had grown up so much in the short years we had them. In the next few months they'd be two, and we'd be celebrating with our newest little ones.

I turned to Mello as Linda fed Andrei… or Mason… whichever boy she had, passing off Roxanne to Light.

"I knew this was a good idea." I said proudly.

Mello merely rolled his eyes at me. "This is our last pregnancy, Matt. Remember that."

I nodded in agreement. "Believe me, blondie, five kids is the limit for me."

He scoffed. "Two should have been your limit."

Light chuckled at that. "Looks like you two have some work ahead of you. Think you can handle the stress."

The blonde beside me grinned happily. "I'll be fine. Matt said he'd take over for the triplets anyway."

That sneaky little…

"We'll see about that, Mello. I still have to prove you wrong later on."

He scoffed. "Good luck with that having five kids in the house. I'd love to see you even get near me without being interrupted by a crying baby… or three."

God dammit! I can't believe he played me like that! The bastard had this all planned out since our bet!

I groaned audibly. "This is what I get for wanting a large family."

Mello patted my back. "Should have listened to me from the start."

I really should have.


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: This chapter has a few new POVs for you guys and I hope you like them!  
><em>**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

**_Eight years later_**

"I said no, Lucas. Not before dinner."

"But you have them all the time!" He argued. "You had like three an hour ago!"

"Because I paid for them, therefor I may eat them as I please. You, however, are a child and do not need chocolate in your system every hour. I made that mistake once with you, and I won't make it again."

The small blonde flopped to the floor with drama. Yup, definitely mine.

"This is so not fair." He mumbled into the floor.

I rolled my eyes. "Life isn't fair, son. Now get up and help your granddad."

"Not funny, Mello." Light spoke up as he was preparing the food for Christmas dinner. We told him that he didn't have to cook for us, and that Winston was more than willing to do the cooking, but Light insisted he do this for us. He said something about a challenge and cooking for many people… I couldn't quite remember. All I knew was that Light was ahead of the game and had everything almost prepared. All that was left was the bird.

Which… was huge… considering the amount of people here.

Let's see… there's Nan, Sofu, Light and L, Wammy, Sayu and Matsuda, Matt and I, Linda, Near, Olive, and Lara, plus our five terrors, and Winston, who was more than happy to see us accept him as our family. Nineteen people we'd be feeding today, and it was a chore. Especially when Lucas wouldn't stop begging me for chocolate.

I loved my kids, of course I did, but Lucas was the biggest chore to take care of. Probably because he was much like me. Easily bored, distracted, and felt the world was against him. It didn't help either that both him and Melina shared most of the genius aspect together. The private tutor we hired for our kids was astounded by their thinking process and more than once offered them a scholarship to a private school here in England. I didn't allow it, however, wanting my kids to stay away from schools altogether. They were good kids… and school always corrupted the good ones.

As for the other three children, Mason, Andrei, and Roxanne, they too were geniuses, but the moment their father introduced them to video games, it was a lost cause.

Roxanne was a master at video games. Much like Matt she could finish every level in a snap with one hundred percent completion. Mason was pretty good himself, but opted out for online games instead of console. He wasn't allowed to use team speak, but he'd already built up a reputation online as the Dark Raven. No one knew it was a small boy on a laptop, but they feared him in all games he took to. And as for Andrei, he was a handheld gaming person. However, he did like to walk away and do some sketches when he got bored. This made me feel like there was hope that both Roxanne and Mason would stop gaming at some point as well.

I turned to the over dramatic boy, still laying on the floor, as I finished up the carrots.

"Where's your sister?"

"Which one?" He mumbled through the floor.

I already knew where Roxanne was – planted on the couch with her dad trying to beat him at Super Smash Bros. – so I rolled my eyes.

"Which one do you think? You should go find her and tell her dinner's going to be ready soon."

He slowly pulled himself off the floor. "Am I your messenger boy, now?"

I chuckled. "Nope, you're my delivery boy. If she says she isn't coming around, you have my permission to force her to the table."

A small smirk appeared on his face. "Am I allowed to tie her up?"

"Only if she struggles."

"Got it!" He agreed as he rushed out the kitchen doors to do as I asked.

Light sighed. "I remember when you were like that."

I scoffed. "I'm _still_ like that."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

Finding Mina was going to be no problem. I already knew where she was, but she threatened to tell dad about the chocolate I'd taken earlier that day if I didn't leave her alone. I quickly turned tail at that.

Yes, I was the oldest… but I was far from stupid. Messing with Mina was like messing with Satan some days.

I ran into the living room and was about to take the next hallway to the pool when I was stopped by someone picking me up to hug me. One look over my shoulder and I hugged him back. Sofu was one of my favourite people to see when the holidays came around. I didn't see him very often since he lived in Japan, but he always wrote to me. I actually learned Japanese from both him and Uncle Light. I already knew Light wasn't my uncle, per se, but he'd fathered my parents and loved them like his own. He wasn't quite Sofu's age to be a grandfather, so we all just called him and L our uncles. They didn't seem to mind it!

Sofu set me down after a long hug. "And how is my Lucas? I haven't seen you at all today, boy!"

I smiled at him. "That's 'cause I was begging dad for chocolate again. His usual answer though, a flat out no."

"Well," he replied sticking a hand into his pocket before bringing out a bar. "It's a good thing I'm around then!"

I hugged him again in happiness. "You're the best!"

Of course, he hugged me back. "And don't you forget it!"

I heard Da chuckle a bit while playing his game with Roxy.

"Your dad is not going to be pleased if he sees you with that." He warned. "I suggest stuffing it down that gut of yours before he catches wind that you have it."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "How many times has Roxy won today, Da?"

He grumbled. "Sixteen."

Roxy laughed. "I am the master of all things gaming!"

Da paused the game and he started to tickle Roxy as payback. "Excuse me little missy!? What was that you said?!"

She laughed uncontrollably and squeaked a few times. "Stop it! Please, daddy!" She laughed through her shrieks.

He finally stopped and quickly grabbed his controller. "You're done for now!"

"What! You cheater!"

She quickly grabbed her own controller and the games began once again.

I couldn't help but smile at my Da. He was always fun to be around, and he was more than loving to his kids. Dad was loving too, but he took the responsibility role more than Da. Both of them were good fathers to us in their own ways, but I still think dad could loosen up a bit on my chocolate intake.

I was about to bid farewell to Sofu when the front door opened and a few more people joined us. It looked like it was Auntie Olive with Uncle Near… which meant…

No surprise, the little white head popped out from behind her father and found me.

I blushed a little at seeing her. Lara was always a problem with me… but in a positive way…if that was a possibility.

I hid a bit behind Sofu as Uncle Near spoke. "Sorry we're late. Traffics backed up due to a storm. It should be over by tonight though."

Da turned around to look at him. "Don't go out in it, Near. We could lose you forever with how much you blend in with the snow!"

I held in my laughter when Near's soggy and snow-covered hat hit him in the back of the neck and Da went flying off the couch from the cold. Roxy, however, had no problem letting herself bust a gut with laughter.

While I'd been distracted, Lara had joined me at my side behind Sofu. "Hi Lucas."

I jumped at her voice and nearly fell over. Yet again, Lara had caused my cheeks to go red. I wasn't sure how or why she had so much power over me… but I wasn't complaining.

"Hi…" I said nervously. "Umm… I'm glad you're here."

She smiled warmly at me and I felt my knees go weak. Honestly, how could anyone have this kind of effect on people? Why was this happening?

I'd known Lara for close to my whole life. Her father and mine were all one happy family when they were younger, so it was natural that we'd meet at some point. I knew her father Near wasn't exactly my uncle, but I called him so because he was family. Lara, however, I had a different relationship with.

If I had to describe her with one word, it'd be stunning. She shared the same white hair as her father, but with her it was crisper, more sparkling, like she wore a cap of fresh snow on her head. Her eyes were another story as well. Silver and bright, and always managed to capture my attention. Yes, stunning was exactly the word I'd use for her.

But I never told her this.

After a few more words she snuck off with me to help me find Mina. We had to sneak away since her dad was more than protective of her for many reasons. More times than not, however, when he explained those reasons, he would eye me like I was the cause of all them.

I never understood why though. Maybe it was something only grownups knew.

We got to the pool and found Mina reading on the upper ledge where the diving board was along with a few beach chairs.

"Mina!" I called to her. "Come on! Dad says dinner's almost ready!"

"In a minute!" She called back. "I'm at a good point in the story!"

"Don't make me drag you out of here!" I warned.

She scoffed. "I would love to see you try!"

I looked back to Lara. "Well, you heard her. She wants to see me try."

I took a few steps back as Lara awaited safely by the wall next to a towel cupboard. I made for the run stance… and prayed that my parkour lessons weren't all for not.

* * *

><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

There were some days where I really did not like my brother.

Today was another one of those days.

I was a little amazed at him and his free running ability, but I found it humorous that he believed he could catch me.

The moment he got halfway up to the ledge where I sat, I merely placed my book off to the side and ran for the diving board. I prided myself on my diving ability, but even more for being smarter than my brother.

The moment he reached the ledge and saw I was down below swimming away from him, I couldn't help but smile. He was so naïve some days I couldn't help but wonder if he was really my brother. Dad assured me he was, but I still questioned it.

I got out of the pool and strode over to Lara who was giggling at the look on Lucas' face. "That wasn't much trouble for you I see."

I shrugged. "Lucas can be a moron some days. Remember that for future reference."

I then looked up to the blonde on the top ledge. "Hey, so dad said dinner will be ready soon! You may want to come down from there!"

"Shove off, princess!"

I turned from him. "Let's go, Lara. I have to change before dinner is served."

She followed me without hesitation. And why wouldn't she? We'd been friends since we were in diapers. Her parents were quite happy about that as well, seeing as how Lara didn't speak up for herself most times and usually needed me to help her become more confident. When she was around my brother though, she seemed more than capable of speaking for herself.

After I changed in my room, we both headed towards the living room where my other siblings were. All the adults seemed to be with each other at the moment, leaving the living room to just us kids. Andrei was working on a new sketch, Mason on his laptop, and Roxanne was lounging on the couch, now board that our Da wasn't there to play any video games with her.

When we sat next to her on the couch she told us dad had dragged him away to help with dinner.

"Just when I was going for my twentieth win against him." She said unhappily, but still proudly.

I couldn't help but giggle at this. Our Da was losing his touch in video games. It was sad really.

I looked over to the brunette with the laptop. "And how's being the Mysterious Penguin, Mason?"

He scoffed at me. "That's the Dark Raven to you!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

Mason and Andrei were very much like our Da in the looks department. The only thing they didn't share with him was his red hair. That was something Roxy had inherited. They did, however, inherit his sensitivity to sunlight and light in general. So our uncle L wet out and got the two a pair of goggles for themselves. Andrei had blue lenses, and Mason had green. With these, they looked like mini versions of our Da.

The green goggled boy stuck his tongue out at me as his response. "I hope you realize how awesome it is to be an eight year old with this much power over the internet."

"We'll be nine soon," Andrei reminded from behind the couch. "Don't forget."

"Shouldn't we be in school by now, then?" Roxy started up. "I mean, dad says we need an education…"

"That's why we have the private tutor, remember." I reminded her… for the zillionth time.

"But I want to go to a real school and meet some new kids! No offense to any of you, but I'd like to make other friends other than my siblings."

I sighed. "Yeah, and so would I. But the point of the matter is, dad won't let us. He hates schools and he would never let us go to one. You want to ask him, then be my guest. But the point is, we're stuck here."

Roxy shook her head. "I don't believe we are. Dad might not like it, but if we told him it's what we wanted…"

"He'd still say no. Just like my daddy." Lara spoke up. "Daddy said that schools aren't a place for kids like us. He said we'd be outcasts, a social pariah."

"Isn't that the fish that eats flesh?" Mason asked.

I could literally feel my brain form into a hand and hit me with a facepalm from the inside. Mason was smart with computers, but he was an illiterate.

We decided to ignore him.

"Well, I don't wish to go to school all that badly. I'm happy being taught here. Our parents are smart, and our tutors are as well. Why should we waste our time learning at a school when we've got all we need here?"

"Because we'd make more friends." Roxy replied. "Like I said before. I know dad cares about us, but there's got to be more to school than he thinks."

I sighed heavily again. "Well, if you want to try and convince him to put you in school, be my guest. I'm staying here."

Before Roxy could argue the matter, there came a squishy and sloshy sound from the hallway where the pool was. Before long, Lucas was in our sights, dripping wet and giving me the evil eye.

He stopped in front of me. "You heartless witch."

I grinned at him. "You may need to dry off. I think you've got a bit of water on your clothes."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

Melina had barely seconds before Lucas jumped at her and she ran off to avoid him. He threatened to soak her entire bookcase in her room if she didn't let him teach her a lesson.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. Lucas was always passionate about something, and it made me like him all the more. I sometimes wished I could be like him, strong willed and back straight, but I was too shy. My mother told me it was because I had a lot of my dad in me, but I didn't believe her. I think I was just weird.

Roxy put a hand on my shoulder. "Still crushing on my brother?"

I blushed profusely. "Roxy! Don't say that out loud!"

She giggled. "Relax, the only ones that know are us three. Right boys?"

Mason agreed. "Yup, it's just us. Andrei and I haven't said a word."

"Nothing." Andrei spoke up.

Roxy then hugged me close. "You don't have to worry. Lucas doesn't have to know until you're ready to tell him."

I smiled at that and I hugged her back. Roxanne and her brothers were the only ones who knew that I had feelings for Lucas. I knew I was too young to be believing that I had a crush on someone, but I couldn't help it. It had to be a crush. What else could all my symptoms mean? The racing heart, the light-headedness, the blushing… it all meant one thing. But I was too shy to speak up about it.

I took a breath. "I wish I knew if Lucas felt the same."

"Don't even worry about it right now. Wait until he's a teenager!" She offered. "Boys don't know that they're trying to impress girls when they're ten, but they do it anyways. They don't know until they're in their teens. It's weird… but true."

"How would you know?" Mason tried to argue.

Roxy scoffed. "Because you tried to impress that sixteen year old blonde at the mall by saying you were a level eighty-seven orc."

The brunette paused for a second. "She was checking me out and you know it!"

The red headed girl rolled her eyes. "I'd also like to remind you that boys are full of themselves. You'd be wise to compliment them on a daily basis, even if they look like a piece of crap."

"Exactly!" Andrei agreed before realizing what Roxy had said. "Wait what!? When do we…?"

"Kids!" We heard Sofu call. "It's time for dinner!"

Andrei suddenly poked out from behind the couch. "This ain't over little sister!"

We all hurried to the dining room while they argued. "I'm younger by a half hour! And that doesn't make you smarter than me!"

"Geek!"

"Dork!"

"Alright ladies." Mason, the elder of the three, piped in. "You're both very lovely, now shut up."

I giggled at Mason. He was always in the middle but always knew how to end a fight. The only ones he didn't get involved in were the ones concerning his older brother and sister. And who could blame him? When those two fought, you just let them go and hope no one got hurt. It was just the way of things.

Still, even knowing how hectic it was in this estate some days, I'd liked to have been part of it permanently. To have brothers and sisters like them. But, it didn't look like my dad wanted another child any time soon. So I'd be stuck as an only kid for now.

But, who knows? Maybe things would change.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Now, let's get one thing straight here.**_

_**There are A LOT of characters in this story, and I may not be able to write as many POVs for a few of them. Plus there;s going to be a special person coming into play soon and I'm excited to debut them! They're my own OC and I hope you like them!**_

_**Anyways, from the attitudes and personalities you've seen in the kids, which ones do you most enjoy and would like to see more of in a future chapter? This is my question for you all since I can't possibly write for so many characters, but I don't always think things through. Oh well. XD**_


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: And now I must sleep.  
><em>**

**_Enjoy!_**

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

Wammy house was still running even after we all left. Although they would never admit it to us, Light and L were getting older and taking on a lot more responsibilities. They even helped to raise a few kids after we all split up, but they would never have the same memories that we had with them. Light and L raised us, gave us a home, and even more they'd loved us. And we loved them.

At that moment I'd dropped by to see how they were doing. It had been a week or so since Christmas and I needed to speak with them about a job they'd wanted me for. To be honest, I just wanted out of the estate for a while. I loved my kids, but I was going stir crazy from having to care for them. Matt helped more than I gave him credit for, but being the responsible parent it kind of didn't work in my favour. The loyalist kids I had were Melina and Mason. Lucas, Andrei, and Roxanne took to Matt's side though, meaning the favour leaned over to his side. Although, Melina was good at getting what she wanted from those three. Puppy eyes with her father, a good smack to Lucas' head, and a small threat to Andrei, and they were putty in her hands.

I smiled to myself as I opened up the door to the orphanage. My girl was more like me than anyone else. Not to mention she had heads turning from every boy she walked past. I remember once bringing her to the Wammy house and more than a few boys were at her feet in awe and praise.

One death glare from me, however, and they all left with their tails between their legs. My girl was not just for staring at and I wanted her to remember this.

I was her father, and I intended to be one when the time arose.

Once I entered my old home, Light greeted me almost instantly.

"To what do we owe the pleasure!?" He said excitedly, hugging me tightly.

I hugged him back, a large smile on my face. "I'm here about the job you needed me for."

"Right! L is upstairs working on it right now. He said he needed both you and Matt though."

I grumbled a bit as I followed him to L's room. "I would have loved to have brought him, but you see I can't leave Winston in charge of the terrors all alone. Last time we did so they managed to set fire to the foyer. As long as Matt's there, I can be sure that there's minimal to no damage."

Light chuckled. "They remind me of you two. Always getting into trouble, even when it looks as though there's no trouble to get into."

I laughed along with him. "You can't prove any of those disasters were us."

"Sure we can! We got you two on tape more times than not."

I scoffed. "I claim cloning was a factor in this, and I can't control my clones."

The brunette famously rolled his eyes at me.

We entered into L's room where he did most of his work. One look at me, a few hellos, and we got down to business.

He pulled up a file on the jumbo screen. "This, Mello, is Mercutio Venelle." He opened up a picture of a rather large fellow with an odd looking head shape. This man had muscles to spare, but he had a sly look on his face that screamed confidence. "He's been in hiding for a few years now but only just randomly appeared out of nowhere. The people who are tailing him say that there's something he's after, but we can't figure it out. So we want you to see for yourself what he's after."

"How do you really know he's after something?" I asked. "Couldn't he just be bored and wants to start getting out of the house?"

"Mello," L turned to me, "this man has killed over sixty people because he's been trailing someone. Why would he do that if he didn't want anything? No, there's something not right about this. Plus the fact he went underground for a while, but no clues as to why he suddenly appeared. Unless…"

"Unless he caught wind of this… thing that he wants is close to him." I finished. "But where is he right now?"

"Somewhere in Santa Monica. But he's not staying long. My sources say he's heading to England for an auction. I believe that the object he's looking for might be there."

"When and where?"

"Three weeks, at the Embordine's Auction House. You and Matt will attend on our behalf, posing as a buyer for an absentee. Go in your best attire because this will be a formal event."

"Understood. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, if you see Mercutio, do not engage him. He's a master at the art of words and can get anyone to reveal who they are and what they're doing. You and Matt may be strong together, but it's best that you just keep your mouths shut and keep to the program. He'll only bet on one item… make sure he does not get it."

I nodded. "I'll tell Matt when I get home."

"Excellent, I knew I could count on you. As for Near's part in this, he will monitor the building for you via camera signal. So keep in mind that we'll be watching. I suggest you go speak with Roger right now about the equipment you'll need for this mission."

"Will do." And with that, I was off. Light following me close behind.

On the way to Roger's office, I had time to speak with Light about the oncoming mission.

"This sounds serious if he wants everyone involved."

"It is," the brunette replied. "He's been on edge about it since he can't figure out what it is this guy wants."

"Nothing specific like money or gold?" I somewhat joked.

He paused. "Well, he'd going to an auction. This means he either already has money… or he's looking to get some. Maybe that's what this artifact is about."

"So it's an artifact now?" I chuckled out.

Light merely smiled. "It might be. He definitely wants this item… so it might just well be of worth."

I was about to try and argue the point with Light until we passed by the play room and something caught my eye.

I looked into the room and saw one of the newer kids sitting on the window sill, holding a small book to his chest tightly as he looked out the window. He had a dark mop of hair on his head, but his eyes were a bright and dazzling blue. It wasn't common for this in people, but any time it came up it was amazing to see. This child was small as well. And I meant that he was short, _and_ skinny. Despite this, he kept an iron grip on that book he had. Perhaps a possession of his.

I turned to Light. "Who is he?"

He looked at the boy. "We don't know his name, but his codename for the Wammy house is Ink."

"Ink? Did he choose that?"

"Well… he wrote it down when we asked him what name he wanted for himself. He doesn't speak, though, and believe me we've tried to get him to talk. But I suppose he's in too much shock still."

"What from?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Light seemed a little saddened at the moment. "Do you remember that plane crash from last week? The one that was all over the news?"

I didn't have to be told more. "Oh no… please tell me…"

Light looked back at the child. "He was the only survivor. His parents both died, and he had to watch everyone else die around him. When the rescue team found him floating on some rubble, they said he fought them furiously, even managing to seriously maim one of the rescuers. When he stopped fighting though, he stopped moving altogether. He became… well… something that wasn't human.

"They took him back to his home and he only grabbed one item. That book. The author's name was his mother. The illustrator was his father. I suppose that's why he chose Ink as a name. It's rather sad really. He misses them so much… and he has no other family that we know of. L is trying to find at least one family member to take him in, but there's no sign of anyone. He could always stay here, his test scores being more than enough to prove his brainpower. But he doesn't seem to like it here all too much."

The story was more than heartbreaking. That poor boy was all alone… and he had to witness so much death at a young age. It just wasn't right.

Light had to force me away from the play room in order to return to the task at hand. Once I was finished with Roger, I was free to go home. However… I hadn't wanted to leave just yet.

After about an hour I found my way back to the play room and luckily Ink was still there. Still holding his book… still staring out the window. As if he expected some angel to take him away from all this and bring him back to his parents.

I certainly was not an angel, and I couldn't bring him to his parents, but I could take him away from the Wammy house. Maybe that'd be enough.

I sat beside the child so that I was eye level with him. "Hello, Ink is it?"

He looked at me with a jolt and hugged his book tighter. His blue eyes were alight with fear.

I smiled at him. "There's no reason to fear me. I won't hurt you, I promise. I have a few kids of my own, and believe me they do more damage to me and my partner than we could ever do to them."

He relaxed a bit at this and his knuckles turned from white back to a pale tone. He didn't seem too afraid of me anymore. Maybe just a bit wary.

I kept up my grin. "So I've been told that you don't like it here that much. Is that true?"

He seemed afraid of the question, but nodded anyway.

I then slowly held out my hand. "Then would you like to leave this orphanage and come live with me and my family? You can have your own room, books, and any other things you may need. You could be part of our family."

He cringed inward a bit, a sign that he was hesitant.

I set my hand down. "Ink, if you don't like it here then you don't have to stay. You could come with me, or I could find you a new place to stay. Somewhere you'll like."

He gripped his book a bit more and I couldn't help but read what the cover said. It looked as though it was a book for a number of fairy tales.

My grin widened. "Do you like reading?"

He piped in at this and nodded slowly. He then opened his book to show me a well painted illustration of a genie in his lamp. The story of Aladdin's Lamp. A classic, and the pictures were well done to boot.

I chuckled a bit. "Aladdin's Lamp was one of my favourite stories from a thousand and one nights. Are there any others you like?"

He made a slight grin before turning to another page. Rapunzel.

"Ah, another classic. You have good taste, young man."

His smile widened a bit and I chuckled. He may not say much, but his expressions said a million words.

I figured now would be the best moment to offer him once more to live with us.

"I know you must be tired of moving around so often like this. But I promise that we have a good home for you. If you'd like a forever home, we're more than capable of taking you in. So, what do you say? Do you want to live and be a part of my family?"

He didn't say anything, of course, but after a long moment of contemplation he nodded slowly.

And with that, I found my adopted child.

Light was amazed to see Ink follow me around like I was his mother, but was even more amazed to know he'd chosen to come live with me and my family. Even L was a bit shocked to see Ink open up to me like this. As if he'd spoken to me and asked me to take him in. None of that had happened, of course, but Ink was definitely coming out of his shell a little. That, in itself, made me happy to see. Perhaps in time he would come to speak to me, or even Matt and the other five. But things like this would take time. He had gone through a lot in the past week… and I had to be patient.

On the drive home I could see Ink was more than scared. I suppose that plane crash had taken a toll on him. So, to relax him a bit, I held his hand to let him know he was safe.

He stopped shaking after that, but gripped my hand as tightly as his little hands could force. He may have only been seven, as far as Light told me, but he had a strong grip. But I didn't mind. As long as he knew he was safe while around me, it was all I needed.

We got to the estate with no trouble, and the moment we exited the car Ink stayed right behind me. Even grasping at my pant legs for protection. I had to admit, this one was a cutie.

If only my own kids were like him.

Ah, but C'est la vie. My kids were good in their own ways. They hadn't gone to prison yet so that was good.

Well… key word 'yet'.

I opened the front door and, low and behold, I'd walked into a cluster-fuck of epic proportions. Matt was wrestling with Mason and Lucas over the television remote, while Melina, Roxanne, and Andrei were throwing food at each other. Honestly, I don't know what could have started all this…

And I didn't want to know.

I cleared my throat audibly and the noise ceased. Everyone in the room froze and looked more than worried at what I'd do next.

I didn't even pay attention to them, however. "Winston."

The elder man popped up from behind the couch, a straight forward expression on his face. "Yes, My lord?"

I put a hand on Ink's head. "We have a new child to tend to now. I wouldn't worry, however, this one doesn't cause as much trouble."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Matt exclaimed as he dropped Lucas onto the floor. "What do you mean a new child?"

Ink looked out from behind me as I spoke. "I mean, you made a promise to me when we first decided to have a family that we would adopt at least one child. And I've found him. Matt, meet Ink. He's from the Wammy house, same as us."

The red head looked down at the raven headed boy and a small smile crept up as he leaned down to look him in the eye.

"Well, I suppose a promise is a promise. At least he's not a baby. I think we can both agree we're done that part of our lives." He held out his hand. "Hello Ink, my name is Matt. But I suppose you can call me Da."

Ink cowered a bit behind me as Matt spoke.

Before Matt could ask I told him I'd explain it all later to him.

Mason was the first of my kids to speak with him. "Ink, huh? Well, I think you're alright! At least you aren't another girl. Believe me, we have one too many of those around here."

It was then that Roxanne threw a pillow at the boys head and he went tumbling to the floor.

"Don't listen to him." Melina then spoke up. "It's nice to meet you, Ink. I hope you like it here."

"Wait," Lucas started up, "he isn't actually staying here is he?"

"Lucas!" I warned.

"Oh come on! You can' just randomly adopt some kid without us knowing! For all you know he has diseases!"

"Lucas." Matt gave a warning of his own. "That's enough."

The blonde just scoffed at us. "Whatever," he replied as he made for the stairs. "Just keep Fedex over there away from me and my stuff."

Lucas ran to his room after that but I could tell there was more than hostility in his voice at the moment.

I asked that Matt take care of Ink for the moment and that Winston ready a new room for our newest child while I spoke with my eldest.

Sure enough the moment I entered his room, I found a pouty blonde seething over the new arrival.

"That was quite a show you put on there." I said vehemently.

"Look who's talking." He retorted. "I can't believe you got another kid! Are we not good enough?! Did you have to bring in a new kid to show us how utterly you despise who we are!?"

"That's enough!" I exclaimed making him go quiet. "I took him in because he has nowhere else to go…"

"What about Wammy's?!" He demanded.

I sighed. "Some kids can't handle living in an orphanage. Especially one like Wammy's where it's all work and not enough play. Ink has gone through a lot in this past week alone, and I just want him to know that there is some justice in the world. It doesn't mean I like him more than my other kids, in fact I love you all equally. I'm sorry if you can't see that, Lucas."

"But he's not your kid!" He argued.

I stood straighter at this point. "He is now. And he's your younger brother. So I suggest you stop acting like this, and make amends with this fact."

I made for the door but not before hearing Lucas mutter…

"He'll never be my brother."

The moment I left the room I felt like tearing up. I suppose it was unfair of me to bring in another child without telling them. But I couldn't leave Ink there for even one more minute. He needed a family, he needed to know that there was some people in the world worth loving again.

When I went back to the living room, the space still having not been cleaned up, I saw Mason and Ink sitting next to each other playing one of his online games. Roxanne, Melina, and Andrei all crowded around him and trying to make him feel at home. The small grin on his face only proved they were doing a good job.

I smiled at that. At least Mason and the others accepted him.

Matt strode up to me then. "So, you gonna tell me why you suddenly adopted a kid?"

I looked him right in the eye. "Matt, this kid has been through hell and back. I think he deserves a slice of heaven now."

"What happened?"

I sighed heavily at the thought…

And told Matt everything about our new son.


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N: *Sigh* Had a bad day at work so I finished writing a chapter to keep myself from popping off heads. I guess it worked... but I might need to start drawing something as well. -_-  
><em>**

**_Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Reviews are much appreciated, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Keep in mind though, Comic-con is this weekend, so no promises on a lot of chapters._**

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><p><strong>(Mason P.O.V)<strong>

"_Baby, when you fin-a-lly, get to love some- - body, guess what… it's gonna be me!_"

"Dude," Mina spoke, looking up from her book. "Backstreet Boys? From you?"

I scoffed at her. "Pffft, you wish! That was N'Sync, noob!"

She blinked at me. "You have to be the weirdest brother I have, and I've seen Andrei eat dog food."

This time Andrei scoffed. "It was a dog _treat._ Get your facts straight."

She sighed quite heavily. "You're all weird."

"Look who's talking." I mumbled.

She growled. "What was that, Mason?"

I felt a twinge of fear course through my body. Last time I angered Mina I ended up hanging from the banister by my underpants. That wedgie didn't go away for days!

I closed my laptop and made for an escape to the stairs. Thankfully she let me pass. I was bored with my game anyways. I guess now was the best time to check up on Ink and how he was settling in. It had already been a week but he was still fearful of coming out of his room. I really had no beef with this kid, and neither did most of the family. The only person who had any issue with him was Lucas but we didn't know why. Honestly, there was nothing wrong with Ink. But Lucas insisted on shunning the kid or blatantly bullying him. His favourite 'pet name' being Fedex. It was clever… but rude.

It couldn't be changed though. Not for now anyways.

Lucas was always a passionate kid, and I was almost sorry to have him as a brother some days. But he had a good heart, and I suppose he didn't want Ink here because he felt the attention would turn away from him. I suppose he just didn't trust our dad's to love him and Ink equally. I guess I couldn't blame him, being that Ink was new and still getting used to things, but that didn't mean we had to be brats and treat Ink like an outsider.

Which was why I befriended him right off the bat.

Ink was a quiet kid, but that made him a good listener. He didn't interrupt you or gave you his point of view to make you see other sides of the story. Nope, he just let you rant and talk until you were satisfied. His only responses being a few grins, nods, and blinks. It was nice.

I opened the door to his room and found him reading from his small book of fairy tales and stories. He looked up and grinned when he saw me though. Although he didn't come down from his room much, he was still quite kind when we did get to see him.

"There's our new brother!" I said happily. "You want to help me troll some people online!?"

His smile was his answer.

Before long we were online messing up a few people's games. I liked having a partner in crime when it came to this sort of thing. My Da used to be the one to help me with this kind of stuff, but the moment dad caught wind of him shirking his responsibilities, his limit on video games was greatly reduced.

After making a few people rage quit we decided to go grab a snack. Well… I decided to go grab a snack. Ink just followed me like a loyal soldier.

We got to the kitchen and dad was there making dinner for us. Although it was usually Winston's job to make us food during the week, dad was the one to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the weekend, and although Winston's cooking was good, our dad's cooking was to die for! He made everything! Mexican cuisines, old fashion American Eats, French Parfaits, English desserts, and so much more! If there was a recipe, our dad knew it and would be more than happy to make it!

I climbed into the chair nearest to me, which was beside Lucas – who was finishing his homework – and Ink crawled up next to me.

Of course, the short tempered ten year old ignored us completely. Not just because of Ink, but because he didn't want to lose focus on his work. He was stubborn when it came to being top dog among us, and if anybody challenged that with him, they'd learn quickly who the better man… err… guy was.

Dad finally took notice of us. "I suppose you boys want a snack."

"You read my mind, pops!" I smiled out.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour. I suggest you wait."

I groaned. "But I'm hungry!"

Ink covered his mouth to stop from giggling, however silent it usually was.

Dad looked back at me for a quick second. "Alright… I may have a few left over pieces of Monkey Bread…"

I got excited at this. Monkey bread, even though it sounded weird, was actually exceedingly delicious! It was, quite literally, cinnamon bread with chocolate in the middle of it, with Carmel having been poured over all of it. However, there was definitely a catch to all this.

Dad continued. "I shall reward you with some if you can tell me where your father is at the moment."

Ooh… tough one. Our Da was playing video games in the garage when he was supposed to be doing chores. Did I sell him out for food or lie and say he was actually doing his chores?

…

No dice. Dad would pick up on a lie without any pause.

I sighed. "He's in the garage playing video games. He bribed me and Andrei ten bucks to not say a word to you."

Dad placed a plate of the delicious bread in front of us, thanked me, then walked out to find his husband.

I pushed the plate over to Ink. "Here, try a piece! It's awesome, dad's the best cook!"

He hesitantly took a piece and ate it slowly. His worried expression changed to happy when he realized how amazing it was.

That plate was empty before dad had come back dragging da by the ear.

Dinner and a show? This was my lucky day!

"Jesus Mello!" Da started. "It was one game! And I already finished my chores!"

"Oh? So you cleaned the bathrooms?"

"Yes!"

"You did the sweeping?"

"Yes!"

"The dusting, the mopping, _and_ you watered the indoor plants?"

"Yes, a thousand times, YES!"

Dad paused for a short moment. "Did you clean out the car?"

Da went to say yes but completely froze in front of us.

Busted.

Da crossed his arms, "And why exactly do I have to do all this?"

Dad scoffed. "Because I did it the last two times. Third time? Not happening."

Da sighed quite heavily, even hunching over a bit. He then became a bit cocky. "Fine then, my love. I shall clean out the car… I wonder what interesting treasures you've been hiding from me. Maybe a few chocolate bars or two? Belgian chocolate?! My, that would be a delicious treat!"

Dad's demeanor changed immediately. "On second thought, you can just leave the car to me. I really don't mind cleaning it!"

"Too late!" The man said as he ran off, giggling like a madman.

"You're a dead man Jeevas if you touch my stash!" Dad threatened as he ran after him.

Lucas actually chuckled. "There's no chocolate there."

I couldn't help the snicker. "You stole it!?"

He held up a finger to his coy smirk.

I finally bust out a few laughs at this. "Dad's gonna kill you!"

"Not if he doesn't find out."

"He'll find out." I reminded him. "He always does."

A moment later after we cleaned up the plate Ink and I used, the phone rang and our dad answered it. Before long, there was panic.

"Matt! Get your keys right now!"

He ran into the kitchen. "What's wrong?! Is it the kids?!"

Dad grabbed his coat. "Light just called, he said there was a shooting at Wammys!"

"What, why!?"

"I don't know, but some thugs went in and started harassing everyone! They notified the cops and they went running at the sound of sirens. They stole a few things though so they need us to help track them down."

Dad then turned to Lucas. "Listen to me, son. I'll call Winston on the way to the orphanage and get him to come look after you until we get back. He won't take more than ten minutes, but I need you to look after everyone, do you understand me?"

He nodded, a bit of fright in his eyes. "Yes dad."

"Good. Now I want all of you to stay in the living room until then, alright?" He addressed to Ink and I.

I nodded along with Ink. "Yes sir!"

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I looked at Matt. "Melina and Andrei are already in the living room. Go find Roxanne and tell her to wait in the living room as well."

The gamer nodded. "Sure thing."

He ran off to Roxanne's room as Mason and Lucas left for the living room. The only one who didn't go was Ink.

I didn't notice this until I felt a tug at my pant leg. The moment I looked down I could see a slight bubble of fear behind Ink's eyes.

I leaned down. "It'll be okay, Ink. I promise you that everyone is fine."

He blinked at this before reaching into his shirt and pulled out a pendant of sorts. It was a white pendant with little spots of black. I couldn't quite see what the material was behind the glass, but it was sure beautiful. But, why did he have this? Why did he not show me beforehand?

He slipped it off his neck and placed it in my hands. Did he want me to have it? Why couldn't he just tell me?!

"Ink? Why are you…?"

He then covered his eyes, every so often peaking to make sure I was getting it.

I blinked a few times before I finally understood. "You… don't want me to show anyone?"

He nodded, a faint grin on his face.

I was thoroughly confused now. "But why?"

He didn't tell me. He just held up a pinky to me and awaited my reply.

I hummed a bit when I realized he wasn't going to tell me. So I took his pinky in mine and grinned. "I promise not to show anyone. You have my word."

With that, he an off to join the other kids.

I stuffed the pendant away in my pocket and ran for the front door. I had no time to think about what this pendant was supposed to mean, but it had been an odd time to bring it up. The moment Wammy's gets attacked Ink decides to bring up this… thing? I mean, granted it was interesting, but it wasn't like it meant anything. Or maybe it had and I just didn't know.

Whatever the reason, I had to get down to Wammy's and help out in any way I could. But I wondered… just how much damage had these crooks done?


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: I must slumber now!  
><em>**

**_Enjoy the extra chapter!_**

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><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

This was scary, to say the least.

Wammy's, from what our dads had told us, was one of the safest places on this green earth. Wammy had built it so that it may keep something like this from happening. But here they were. The school had been overrun and destroyed, and I feared for my uncle L and Light. They were strong men, but if the orphanage had really been shot up… I didn't want to think about what might have happened to them. So I chose to remain strong… for my family.

For my dads…

For my siblings…

If only Ink did the same.

He was acting weird since dad had announced what happened. He wasn't afraid… so much as he was waiting. He didn't cry, didn't shake with fear. He just… waited. It was incredibly odd of a kid to do that after realizing something like this had happened.

Winston still had to come by and care for us, but until then we all sat waiting in the living room for him to arrive. Dad had said ten minutes or less. Sadly, it had only been half that, and it was the longest five minutes ever. From this, I was beginning to believe he would never show up. And that worried me more.

"Do you think everything's alright?" Roxy started up. "Da looked really scared when he came to get me."

I took a breath to calm myself. "I don't know. All I do know is that dad and Da love Wammys. It's where they met and fell in love. Not to mention it's where uncle Light and L raised them. To know that it's been attacked… it must scare them immensely. Especially if something happened to anyone they care for."

"What about Near and Olive?" Mason asked. "They visit Wammys every day, and they bring Lara with them. Do you think…?"

"No." I said forcefully, not bothering to believe Lara was hurt. "They're fine. Everyone's fine. I just know it."

They could all hear it though. The hesitation in my voice. They knew I wasn't sure about anything that was going on. But I still put up a front to be brave for them. They had to know that everything would be alright.

Suddenly, Ink got up from his seat and padded over to a nearby window. This one showed the view of the driveway and the front walkway. Weird… why would he…?

A sudden sound of glass breaking jolted me out of my thoughts and before I knew it there was smoke around us. We were all panicking now.

"Lucas!" A few called. "I can't see!" Said others.

I tried to find my way to them but my eyelids got heavy and soon I could no longer bear my own weight. I gave in to the heavy feeling of exhaustion and slammed into the floor. Too sure that my brothers and sisters shared the same fate. And Ink? I didn't want to think about him. He knew that this was going to happen. No wonder he was waiting! He was waiting for these… thugs to come grab us! I knew he was no good!

I don't know how long I was out, but I woke up in a warehouse of sorts tied to Melina and Andrei. Mason and Roxy were tied together as well, and adjacent to us was Ink. All alone, tied to a chair. He wasn't out like the others, but I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. Not only that, but he was covered in bruises and scratch marks. Had he been… tortured? Why him?

"Hey Fedex!" I called to him weakly.

Once he looked up at me, I continued. "Where are we!? Tell me why we're here!"

"Shut up you brat!" A voice demanded behind me before striking me upside the head. "The boss needs you all for a trade, and I'd rather not lose my job due to… circumstances."

My stomach dropped at this but I didn't give up. "Who are you!? What do you want with us!?"

The smell of cigar smoke flooded through my nostrils and I almost gagged. The man who had spoken now faced me himself. And he was an ugly fucker to. Bald, scar over his dead left eye, and yellow teeth that matched a school bus. Honestly, the world was not kind to him. If ugly was an art form, this guy had just perfected it.

He blew the smoke in my face and I gagged. "We weren't supposed to take you anyways, blondie. But we couldn't leave any witnesses behind. Besides…" he drawled out, placing his meaty hands on my chin. "I think I can make use of you. Your sister seems like a catch, but…"

He leaned in to whisper the rest to me. "I like to hear 'em scream when I plow 'em."

I bit the hand on my chin the moment he uttered that vulgarity my way and he backed off in a millisecond. How dare he even think about something like that with me!? What an absolutely horrid waste of skin!

I felt a commotion from behind me and noticed the rest of the gang was starting to wake up.

This wasn't a good thing though.

The ugly, vulgar man grinned. "Well now, looks like your sister's up and ready for me. Boys!"

Melina got scared. "Lucas… Lucas, what's going on!?"

Some other men took the binds off of her and pushed her to the ground in front of the vulgar man. Before she could run he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to face him.

His sneer was like acid. "At least I still have you."

He looked at the other men. "Leave! Don't come in her until I'm finished!"

The other men did as told, and before long it was just us and the man. No… not a man… a monster.

He pushed Melina to the floor again, right into some broken glass, and he began to unbuckle his pants.

I tried with all my might to be free of the ropes so I could save her, but I wasn't strong enough. And, looking into her eyes… seeing how scared she was, I just didn't want to look. But, if I did, it gave me a motivation to kill this sick bastard in the future. With my bare hands if I had to! I'd kill him! I SWEAR IT!

The pants went down…

…

Then there was blood.

None of us saw him make his escape, but Ink had jabbed a seven inch long piece of broken glass straight into this monster's skull… then again… and again…

And…

…

And again…

When he stopped, there was barely anything left of the vulgar monster. He was just a shredded up piece of what used to be.

Blood dripped from Ink's hands as he held the glass firmly. I didn't really know if it was his blood or that creature's anymore. All I knew was that Melina was safe… thanks to him.

He used the glass to cut us free, then told us to be quiet. Well, he didn't _tell_ us, rather he mimicked the sign to be silent. And, knowing there were other men about, we did so with favour. None of us wanted to get caught right now, especially if there were more people like that animal Ink had killed.

And that's what scared me the most. Ink had killed someone, but looked as though he felt no remorse. And what was it that man had said about us not being what he needed to retrieve? Why had Ink been the only one to be beaten up? Something was definitely going on here that wasn't being explained. What was Ink to them? Obviously this kids was more than just a kid, but what had happened between him and these men that made him so ruthless?

We got out of the warehouse no problem, and soon my questions started.

"What the hell, Fedex! What's going on!?"

He washed his hands in a nearby stream before wiping them on his clothes to dry them. He then took my hand and started to pull with all his might. Granted, this was not much, but it was still annoying.

Mason piped up. "He wants us to follow him."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "But where?"

Mason shrugged. "Anywhere is better than here. Especially when they find that bastard dead."

Melina then hugged Ink tightly. "Thank you, by the way. I'm glad you defended me."

"I doubt it was just for you, Melina." I said angrily. "It looked more like he had a score to settle with that man. I suggest you tell us, right now FedEx, what's going on!"

He grabbed my hand again and I growled. "NO! I'M NOT FOLLOWING YOU UNTIL YOU TELL ME!"

He dropped my hand and backed away from me. Still not saying a word, but his expression showed he was indeed apologetic.

Mason put a hand on my shoulder. "Lucas, we're stuck here, on our own, with no way of getting home. Let Ink lead us to wherever he wants to take us. Obviously there's something he wants to show us."

A few moments passed by as I thought about this. Obviously Ink was something more than an orphan from the Wammy house, but what it was I had no idea. He was being sought after, was incredibly vengeful over something, and quick to anger if given the opportunity. Or maybe he just had a score to settle with the one guy.

Either way… we didn't have much of a choice.

I growled. "Fine. Lead on, FedEx."

He grinned once more as he took my hand and began guiding me down a narrow pathway. My brothers and sisters followed close behind. Where Ink was taking us was a mystery, but I had to trust him if I wanted to live to see my dads again. Hopefully soon.

**(Matt P.O.V)**

"We'll find them, Mello. It'll be okay."

The blonde growled venomously. "And if I see even a single scratch on them, you can bet your ass that heads will roll."

I quickly shut up now.

It was official. The men who had raided and robbed Wammys were hired by the man we were tracking. Not only that, but the auction had been bumped up to today due to a sudden increase of crimes concerning antiques. That bastard had planned this out to the very end.

L couldn't give orders at this moment due to him being hospitalized. He'd been shot in the stomach after hiding away the kids in the play room. Light was lucky to escape unharmed, but it must have been scary for him to see L down for the count. The lucky part about all this, however, was that Near and his family had been at home that day due to Lara catching an illness. They didn't have to witness any of what had happened.

Luckily, the men didn't stay long. They took only one thing from the orphanage that was of any importance to us:

Ink's file.

They were after Ink, but for what? He didn't have any artifacts, nor anything of grave importance. All he'd had was his book when I'd met him.

Unless there was something he knew…

But I chose to believe that it was simply not true.

Light ordered us to find the bastard at the auction and have him arrested before the night ended. We'd do so without hesitation. Especially if he can tell us where he stashed our children.

Winston called us the moment we cleaned everything up. When he told us someone had kidnapped our children, Mello lost it.

The blonde stole Light's car and drove as fast as he could to the estate. Low and behold, everything was destroyed. Those men had found Ink… but not what he was hiding. I could only think that they took both Ink and the rest of the kids so that they could become hostages.

With all this happening to us, we needed this to end… now.

Mello was pissed, I was pissed, and Light was ready to explode from how angry he was. I'm too sure that if L were up and at it he too would be making a scene.

That was it. This ended tonight.

We pulled up on the auction house, exited the car, and made for the entrance. We already knew what this guy looked like.

Now we needed to bring him in.


	16. Chapter 16

**_A/N: In the middle if class... will post another chapter later... hope you enjoy!  
><em>**

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><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

Ink had taken us into the city of London and we were now walking down the streets to… well… wherever he was taking us. This wouldn't be too much of a problem… if our dad's hadn't sheltered us for most of our young lives. We knew about London, but we'd never been here beforehand. Our dads rarely took us anywhere considering we were homeschooled by some of the greatest tutors, and we'd only ever really travelled to the Wammy house. Ink, however, seemed to know his way about. I doubted he'd been to London himself, but he seemed to know where he was going at the moment.

I had to admit though… it was nice getting some fresh air.

It didn't look good that six kids were alone at night without their parents, and we more than got a few stares. But it didn't seem to bother the others too much. In fact, Roxanne, Andrei, and Mason all look enthralled. Mina was much the same as me though, worried and keeping a sharp eye out for trouble. We were the oldest, and that meant we had to take some responsibility.

Andrei grabbed my arm then, stopping our walk completely. "Can we go to one of the shops!?"

"Please Lucas!" Roxanne begged.

I cocked an eyebrow at them. "With what money, might I ask?"

They seemed to get the hint and quickly let go of me. Ink continued once again to wherever it was he wanted to take us. Before long, however, we had our answer.

We had to climb a steep hill to get there, but on the horizon was an auction house. It was a pretty fancy looking one too, which could only mean that there was some priceless stuff to buy in there. Antiques I would assume.

I turned to the little kid. "What are we doing here?"

He didn't say, of course, but pointed to a car that had just parked out front. One look was all I needed. It was our dad's car. But, what were him and Da doing at an auction house? What exactly was going on here?

"Get down!" Melina exclaimed in a whisper and we all fell to our stomachs on the grass.

"What is it?" I asked.

She gestured towards the dark vehicle where those men from the warehouse were pouring out of. This vehicle was a stretch limo, and the main person was the only one dressed in all white. I could only assume that this was their boss. The one they'd taken Ink in for. But why would someone like Ink be of interest to men of their caliber?

The men all poured inside the auction house and before I could say a word Ink was running in after them. He didn't even wait for us. Something was definitely not right here.

We all followed him close behind, making sure he didn't do anything stupid.

Instead of the front doors, Ink made for the back so no one would see a child run into the auction without a parent. The moment we were inside the building I looked around for our dads from the back room where we hid. No sight of them for now, not that I'd be able to catch even a glimpse of them with so many people around. Ink seemed to be looking for that man in white.

He was about to run off again when I stopped him.

"Listen here, FedEx, I don't know what it is that you want with that guy, but you'd better tell me right now!"

Melina grabbed me and pulled me away from him. "Stop badgering him, Lucas! Let him just do whatever it is he needs to do!"

"Yeah!" Mason backed her up. "If you've forgotten as well, Ink saved us back there!"

"Have you all gone mad!?" I exclaimed. "This… thing just killed a man in cold blood and has no remorse over the fact! There's something going on here that he's unwilling to tell us!" I turned back to the kid. "Now spit it out, freak!"

Not one… single… word. He just stared down at his feet, a few tears swelling up in his eyes.

I made something between a growl and a sigh. "Fine then. When you've done whatever it is that was needed to be done, we'll be with our dad's. Join us or run off again, I don't care. Just don't expect me to follow you anymore. I'm taking my siblings home."

I started for the door to the main hall when Roxanne stopped me.

"Lucas, stop this." She said calmly. "I know you're scared. Believe me, we are too. But leaving Ink all on his own is a terrible idea and you know it."

"Well if he doesn't tell me what's going on, then I can't help him!"

"He doesn't have to tell you." She implied. "Because all you have to do is look."

I blinked. "You are making no sense at all."

She dragged me over to the kid once again and plopped me right in front of him. She demanded then that I look at him and, knowing I'd have to face her wrath and Melina's, I decided to let her win.

So I looked at him… and what I saw scared me a bit.

This kid was bruised and beaten, crying and cold, and still he was standing. There was some purpose behind his eyes that I'd never really seen in anyone else. It was powerful and moving. Where he could have given up he kept going. Because he had some unfinished business to take care of… and that's why we were here.

I sighed a bit. "Those men took something from you, didn't they."

He nodded slowly.

I brushed a bit of my hair back with my hand as I decided the right course of action. "Well, you can't go out there. Not like the way you are right now. You'll cause attention to yourself. If it's those men you want, then you're going to have to listen to my plan. Alright?"

He smiled happily and ran in to hug me.

This kid had an iron grip that would make superman jealous. But it wasn't all that terrible. In fact, it was rather nice.

I patted his back. "It'll be alright, FedEx. My plan doesn't involve much. First things first though," I said as I backed him away to look him in the eye. "We need to get our parents attention."

**(Mello P.O.V)**

"That bastard is here somewhere." I growled out.

"Mello, relax." Matt whispered to me. "It'll be alright. I'm sure he's –"

I jumped at the moment someone pulled at my pant leg and looked down to see a hand from under the hors d'oeuvres table. This hand could only belong to one person.

Or, at least, one of my five.

"Lucas?"

"Ssh!" He spouted. "Don't draw attention to me!"

I turned back around at this and he whispered once more to me.

"Go to the backroom. We'll meet you there."

With that, he was gone. I did as he said right away and dragged Matt with me to the backroom where most of the artifacts were being held. Once we opened the door, I almost cried in relief to see my kids all there safe and sound. The only one that looked harmed was Ink, and I was worried about this.

They all hugged me happily and of course I hugged them back. It was good to see them all alright and alive.

The only one that didn't hug me was Ink. He seemed too distracted by something.

After hugging my children I finally got down to inspecting Ink's bruises. Some were from a fist, but the ones on his arms looked more serious.

When I was about to ask him what happened, he covered his eyes then peaked out to look at me.

I got it almost instantly. "Yes, I still have it. I haven't shown it to anyone."

He then grabbed my hand and led me further into the storage room, Matt and the rest of the kids following us.

We got to a curtained area and he opened it up to show a mob of people, dressed in formal attire, surrounding what looked to be my target. How on earth did Ink know about this man? And furthermore, what did he want with him?

He tugged on my shirt to grab my attention and the moment I looked down at him I saw a fire in his eyes that I'd never seen in him beforehand. He was angry, yet I didn't know why. Something about him was different from the kid I picked up from the Wammy house nearly a week or so ago.

I leaned down to get a better look at him. "Ink, who is that man?"

He didn't answer. He just covered his eyes again, asking me not to show anyone the pendant. But why? What was so special about it?

I nodded. "Ink, you have my word that I won't show anyone your trinket. But why…?"

It was too late.

He ran out from behind the curtain, stealing a knife from one of the tables, and swiftly made his way towards the man that was my target. In a matter of seconds he'd managed to drive the knife into his leg and the moment he leaned down in agony, Ink jumped onto his back and started choking him with all his might. Looking at him now, I could see the intense hatred in his eyes for the man. He'd taken something from Ink… something he could never get back…

…and I think I knew what it was…

My target, Vanelle was his name, finally got the boy off his back and the moment he went for his gun I stopped him. One shot to the hand was all it took to keep Vanelle from hurting Ink further.

The room went quiet from the shot and all eyes were on us.

Vanelle grinned at me, having dropped Ink and now held his hand. "Well, I thought I was being followed. I suppose the great L has finally caught up to me. I heard he was being paid handsomely for my capture."

One of his guards grabbed Ink before he could attack Vanelle again.

He huffed. "Feisty little kid, isn't he. I suppose he's yours?"

Matt finally joined me by my side, having told the other five to stay put behind the curtain. "Let him go, Vanelle." I demanded.

He scoffed. "And why should I do that? This little brat is the last piece I need to help complete my quest."

He looked to the small child in his guards arm. "Hand it over, brat."

He stuck his tongue out at the man and he got violent now.

He struck him upon the head and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "WHERE IS IT!?"

I shot once in Vanelle's leg and he nearly dropped Ink once more. "Put him down!"

The man before us growled. "Not until he hands it over!"

"Hands what over?!" Matt demanded.

"The hope pendant!"

Everyone in the room fell into a moment of complete silence before they started whispering. I admit, even I was a bit entranced by this.

The hope pendant was said to have an orb that was filled to the bursting with sparkling blue diamonds. But, what Ink had given me…

Unless…

I had to take one last peak at the pendant, but that proved to be my undoing.

Vanelle saw it in my hands and he immediately demanded that I give it to him.

He put a gun to Ink's head. "I swear, if you don't hand it over…!"

"DON'T!" Came a new, smaller voice.

I was stunned. "Ink?"

He looked straight into my eyes. "He won't make good on his word! He'll just take it and kill me! He's been after my pendant since before I was born!"

"SHUT UP YOU BRAT!" He demanded as he cocked the gun, looking at me now. "IF YOU DON'T HAND IT OVER RIGHT NOW…!"

Ink swiftly kicked him in the fork of the legs and immediately when he was dropped jammed a knife into his neck.

The child then ran to me and hid behind me. "You broke your promise."

Before I could explain myself the sound of a gunshot echoed through the air and everyone ran in panic.

Ink grabbed my hand. "We have to go!"

"KILL THEM!" Vanelle demanded from his men.

The guards all brought out their pistols and we dove for cover. I could only pray that the five were alright.

**(Andrei P.O.V)**

"We have to do something!" I exclaimed in terror. "Our parents are going to get shot! Ink is going to get shot! We can't let them die!"

"I know, but there's not much we can do!" Roxanne said in fear. "We're just kids!"

"No, we're not 'just kids'." Lucas started up. "We're the kids of two brilliant men with brilliant genes! If we do nothing right now to help, we're a disgrace to their names! So come on! Grow a pair and help me find the power switch!"

I saluted. "Aye aye, captain!"

He turned to Roxy and Mason. "Make a distraction while we find the power! If you have to, use force, but don't let them catch you!"

They agreed and he turned to Melina. "Get Dad, Ink, and Da out of there while the guards are being distracted. Make sure to use cover."

She agreed and soon we all got to work. I just hoped everything would be alright.

**(Roxanne P.O.V)**

Distractions? Too easy!

To cause said distraction, all we had to do was climb up to the ceiling where there was tons of beams to hang by, while bringing up some stuff to throw at the guards. It was even better since we were so high up that it would be difficult to shoot us. Mason and I were more than safe up here!

We began throwing various objects and soon their attention was on us. This would be the perfect time for Melina to do her work and get our parents and Ink out of there.

"Big nose!" Mason taunted.

A bullet sped past us and I laughed. "What's wrong?! You've got the aim of a squid!"

Another bullet and Mason started up as well. "Would you look at that! It's got feelings!"

"Prick-brain!"

"Armpit!"

"Muck-Chuck!"

"Brick wall!"

I looked at Mason incredulously with that insult. "Brick wall?"

He blinked. "I ran out of insults."

I sighed and kept hurling items at them, stealing more attention from the men below us.

Sure enough, the curtain opened and Melina led our family to safety in the storage room. Within another few moments, the power was off and we all made our escape. When we set foot outside, we could see police cars around every corner. Beside one of them, was Light. I had a feeling that he'd been monitoring our dads for this mission.

The man known as Vanelle soon barged out the door, but before he could shoot at us the cops were all over him. His men were all taken away, and Vanelle himself was locked in a special cage where he couldn't escape. When he saw all of us gathered around our dads, he went ballistic with anger.

Once he was taken away, I couldn't help but scoff. "He needs anger management."

Our dad turned to Ink then. "So what's the deal with this pendant you gave me? Why did Vanelle want it so badly?"

Ink didn't say a thing, but that didn't fly with Lucas.

"Spit it out, FedEx, we all know you can talk."

The boy breathed out a sigh of defeat. "He wanted it… because my mama wouldn't give it to him."

Upon our confused looks, he explained further. "My mama got it from my daddy. He said it was passed down from generation to generation, and when he met my mama it was what he used to ask her to marry him. When Vanelle heard that we had it, he offered all kinds of money to us for it, but my mama said no.

"You see, the hope diamond was spilt into various pieces, correct? Well, one of the pieces shattered and was turned into diamond dust. They put this dust in a pendant and hid it away among my family. That's why it's so rare. Because people don't believe that the hope pendant is really real."

"But why go through the trouble of hiding it when all this could have been solved long beforehand if you'd just given it to him." Lucas demanded.

A tear rolled down his cheek. "Because as the plane was falling… my mother gave it to me, kissed my forehead, and told me she loved me."

He paused…

A tear rolled down his cheek. "It's the only thing I have left of her."


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: This story is far from over. But there will be certain arcs in the story that center around one character at a time.  
><em>**

**_Next arc? Lara. I have to add more of her in this story anyways, and I kinda like her as an OC. :)_**

**_Anyways, will see you all later, enjoy the chapter, reviews are welcomed, and stay amazing my friends!_**

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><p><strong>(Ink P.O.V)<strong>

**_Three months earlier_**

Why was this man bothering us? Why did he want my mama's pendant? What was so special about it? I admit that it was pretty, but it doesn't look valuable. It looked like glass to me.

Once my daddy got rid of him, I asked him what was so special about mama's pendant.

He sat me down on his lap and said to me, "Do you promise not to tell?"

I covered my eyes then my mouth to assure him I wouldn't tell or show anyone. It was how I'd communicated with him since birth.

From the moment I was born, it was apparent that I was smarter than the average child. The only thing I didn't pick up on until later was speaking. But it's not because I didn't know how to speak, it was because I didn't have anything to say. My parents thought I was being silly, but I thought I was being smart. Words can hurt if you use them incorrectly, but if you say nothing, you hurt no one. The only words I ever said were 'I love you' and 'please and thank you'. These words were complimentary, so I used them.

My mama insisted I speak more, however, and I did so to make her happy.

My daddy smiled at me. "The pendant your mother wears is a family heirloom passed down from the lords of my family's past. And the reason it's so valuable is because the dust and glass you see inside it, is not really dust. It's diamond. More specifically, a blue diamond."

I was amazed. "Really?! From where?!"

"From a time of kings, lords, and ladies. The diamond was called the hope diamond, and it exists to this day. But, this diamond was much bigger back then, and at one point was broken up into smaller pieces. One of these pieces belonged to someone in my family, but he hated to wear rings. So he had the diamond shattered and put in a pendant. This pendant was famously known as the hope pendant. People from all over would demand it for a high price, but my ancestor would always decline.

"Getting fed up with people demanding his pendant, he hid it away. And it's been passed down again and again, and when it was passed down to me, I gave it to your mother to ask for her hand in marriage. Someday, it will be passed down to you son."

I smiled at that. From that moment on, I couldn't wait for that day to come.

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><p><strong><em>Two weeks earlier<em>**

"Dad! Why do we have to take a plane!?" The boy across the aisle demanded to know.

I grumbled a bit. I didn't know why so many kids complained about things like this. It was a plane ride, better than driving. Especially if it cuts time in half. No, I didn't like other kids. They were all stupid. And, being a smart kid among stupid kids, you develop headaches a bit more often than you'd like.

My mama pet my mop of hair down. "It's just another hour, sweetheart. I promise, we'll be at grandmas soon."

I sighed heavily and leaned back in my chair. I sat right in the middle between my mama and daddy, and it was boring. There were no games on the plane, and listening to that kid across from me complain was making me wish I'd brought my sketchbook and mp3 with me. My parents thought I was a great artist, but I knew they were just saving my feelings. I was only seven, so how great of an artist could I be right now?

A stewardess placed some food in front of us that we'd ordered. I was about to dig in when I noticed something off about her.

I could remember a face pretty well, and hers was too recognisable. This woman… she looked like that woman that was with that man. What was his name? Vanilla? No… it was something like that though.

She sneered at us before she walked off. I suddenly wasn't very hungry.

Suddenly, there was a jolt of the plane. Like something had hit it. This made my stomach lurch with fear.

"Mama?" I asked worriedly.

She held me tight. "It's alright, darling. I'm sure –"

Another, bigger, jolt of the plane and everyone started to panic. Something was definitely wrong.

The pilot came onto the intercom. "This is your captain speaking! I want everyone in their seats immediately! We're going in for a crash landing!"

I felt my entire being still. He couldn't have… he just couldn't have…

I suddenly felt my mother place her pendant over my head and I shook with fear. "What's… what's going to happen?"

She made me look into her eyes then. "Darling, I don't know what's about to happen, but I want you to know that I love you! _We_ love you! And both me and your father are so very proud to have had you for a son!"

My daddy held my hand then. "It's alright, bud." He glanced out the window before turning back to me somberly. "Just close your eyes."

The screams among the other passengers were now muffled as I looked at my father's terrified face. "I don't want to."

The impact sent people flying and before long the plane was in shambles. We'd been over the ocean at this point so the plane filled with water in no time flat. It was scary watching the bodies of the dead either float or sink.

I floated to the surface of the water and gasped for air. It was a miracle that I'd lived… but a trauma that I'd been the only one to live.

For two hours I called for my mama and daddy. I had to believe that they'd lived and that we'd go home and forget about all of this…

…but they never showed up…

…I was all alone…

…

…all alone…

The search team found me on a floating piece of the wreckage and immediately tried to save me. But I fought like mad to get away from them. I wanted to be left to die! I wanted to see my parents again! It wasn't fair! IT WASN'T FAIR!

They brought me to my home and I was in shock. Someone had burned down my home! All of it was ash! The only thing to survive was the story book my parents had published on my behalf.

When I'd opened to the cover page, I instantly cried.

_'For our son,_

_Who fills our lives with love and imagination._

_We love you.'_

I'd hugged the book tight to my chest. They'd read to me from this book every night at bedtime… and I'd never hear them again.

Soon enough the men who took care of me took me to an orphanage, but I quickly began to hate it. My grandmother was too old to be considered a good caregiver so I couldn't live with her, and I didn't have any other family to live with. I had to be put into foster care.

There were good families, but more bad than good. The good ones would feed me when I was hungry and try to love me like real parents, but the bad ones would treat me like a dog… no, worse than a dog. Even the dogs got fed more than me. But, I was alive… wasn't that something to be happy about? Being alive when the only family I had were dead? What a joy.

Of course I'm being facetious.

I was taken from place to place until one day, an older man had found me. He told me his name was Elle. I found that odd since he was obviously male, and Elle was quite effeminate.

"Would you like to come live at the Wammy house?" He'd asked.

I didn't say anything to him. I didn't say anything in general. I hadn't spoken once since the crash. The press were quite annoyed by this. Every time they asked me about the crash I ignored them. I wish someone else had survived this crash so they'd have to deal with them. I didn't feel any better at all since the accident… so why did they pressure me so?

Elle gave me his hand then. "I promise, you'll find what you need at Wammy's. A smart kid like you deserves a home worth his talents."

Well… it was better than a foster home.

I realized soon after that the man's name was L, not Elle, and it continues to make me grin from time to time. He told me to come up with a codename for myself, so I wrote down 'Ink' to honour my parents. L was right about Wammy's being for kids like me, but he was incorrect about it being like home. It wasn't comforting…

…it wasn't home…

I spent my days reading to myself the stories my mother and father wrote for me. Stories and fairy tales that had been told in the past. I didn't go to class too often, and whenever L or his husband Light would talk to me I shied away. I saw no reason to get close to them. Everyone I love eventually dies anyway, so why have a connection?

I sat on my windowsill, alone, once again, missing class for the twentieth time. I was too depressed to read… too hurt to draw anything… I just wanted to disappear.

And, for most of the day, I had been invisible…

…to everyone…

…but him…

"Hello, Ink is it?"

I turned to the voice in a start. I hadn't seen him coming, nor had I heard him.

He was different from the other adults though. He was dressed in fine clothes, a silk shirt with leather jacket and pants. His breath had a hint of chocolate to it and it made me feel more at peace.

He spoke with me then about living with him and his family. He didn't even get discouraged when I wouldn't speak. He was patient and kind… like my father.

I went with him… I took a chance to find happiness again, forgetting about the negatives for just one, single, moment…

…

…

…and… it was the best decision of my life.

Mello, the blonde man who'd taken me in, had given me everything my parents had and more. A room to call my own, food and love, and he even offered to read to me a few times. But I always declined. I didn't believe he was a better reader than my mama. But he was definitely a good parent. Him and Matt.

They were always kind to me… they showed me they cared… and how had I repaid them?

By keeping secrets.

Vanelle had taken my family from me. He'd do it again to gain the hope pendant. I couldn't let that happen to Mello and his family. All of them, save for Lucas, had been more than like family to me. Mason and I were looking to being best friends too! And I was keeping secrets from them? No… I had to fix this.

Knowing Vanelle was after me I gave the pendant to Mello the moment I heard Wammy's had been attacked. If Mello kept it, then he'd be safe. The auction that he was supposed to enter it in was in just a few weeks…

But I had no idea he'd be so desperate.

After being kidnapped, I was angry… cold… and I wanted revenge. I didn't know what I'd done until after Vanelle's man was dead, but after that though, I was hungry for a perfect vengeance. To show my parents I was strong and wanted their death to be avenged.

Even if I lost myself in the process.

But, when Lucas actually offered to help me… I suddenly realized how wrong it was to get him and the others involved.

I went after Vanelle myself to avenge my parents, but I hadn't taken into account how strong he really was. I thought for sure I would be a goner… until Mello saved me.

The whole family had saved me…

…my family…

I hadn't wanted to get close to anyone because I felt as though no one deserved to be my family. No one but my parents. But Mello and Matt… they were more than worthy.

They treated me like their own son… like their own flesh and blood… and for the first time in a long time, I was happy. I was happy to have someone love and care for me like my parents had. And because of me, I'd gotten them all in trouble.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Present time<em>**

I finished telling my story to them, and both Mello and Matt looked to be on the brink of tears. I hadn't wanted them to be sad for me though. I'd just wanted them to understand why I did all this.

Mello pulled me into a hug and I cried. I missed my parents so much. I missed their laughter, their smiles. I missed be read to at night and getting a kiss before bedtime. I missed everything about them, and I didn't understand why they were taken from me. I didn't understand why I'd been the only one to live through that plane crash, why my parents died and I didn't. I didn't understand why people thought it was a miracle that I lived while others died. I wish they'd all grow a pair of eyes and see what the truth of the matter was. I wasn't happy that I was alive, not in the slightest. I wished I was dead along with them… but that didn't happen.

And I can't change that.

Mello picked me up into his arms and I sobbed into his shoulder. "We should go home, Matt." He spoke to his partner.

I guess Matt agreed because before long we were in a car and heading back home. Mello didn't let me go once. Not until I was ready to leave him… and that wouldn't be for a while yet.

No one bugged me for the entirety of two days. I was too upset to deal with anyone. The only one that comforted me at all was Mello. He stayed by my side throughout all the tears and heartache. He held me close when all I needed was a hug, and had even stayed by my side an entire night to make sure I would be alright. For the first time in what felt like forever, it was like I had my daddy again.

And… Mello was a good dad…

…maybe… maybe even just a bit better than mine…

I hated to think that. I hated the thought of knowing I could easily forget my parents and move on. But, on the third day of my complete isolation, Mello gave me his own words on this matter.

He was been holding me close, yet again to make sure I was comforted, when he spoke.

"Ink, I know you miss your parents deeply, and the grieving process can take a long time to get over. But I want you to know that once you're done grieving, it isn't bad to let go. You can't dwell on the past, believe me it will only make things much worse for yourself."

I scoffed at this. "How would you know? You have everything. Two parents, four if you count L and Light, plus Matt and your kids, riches beyond belief. What exactly do you know about loss?"

He was silent for a few seconds and I was about to tell him 'I told you so' when he sighed heavily.

"There was a man in my past that kidnapped me and took me away from my family. I was his pet for months before someone finally found me. He hurt me and abused me in ways I'd never wanted to happen to me or anyone else in this world. It made me angry… angry enough to want him gone from this world. But…" he paused, looking down at his feet.

I tried looking into his eyes, but they were covered by a fringe of bangs. "But what?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't erase him from this world. I had my chance, but looking into his eyes… knowing I was his obsession, that he'd wanted my attention, and that he'd wanted this from the start… what else could I do but let him wallow in his own pity. No one loved him, however dearly he wanted them to, and that was his problem. Not mine."

He shifted me in his arms a bit so that I was more comfortable before he continued.

"Our situations are different, but we know the same feelings. You grieve, you seek revenge, and you do anything to gain it. Vanelle took your parents from you because he's too much of a coward to face them alive. He wanted something, obsessed for it, and did anything he could to get it. My own monster desired someone for love, so he did the cowardly thing and kidnapped the person he obsessed about most. From this, we gain the thoughts of vengeance and hate… and if we don't let go it can consume us."

He set me down on my bed then and made for the door. "I have to get some work done for L at the moment, but I will be back." He then turned to me. "But I want you to think about what I said, Ink. You are allowed to feel sad and hurt, but don't let it consume you. Move on when you feel strong enough. Only the unwise will stand in quicksand until the last minute."

With that, he left to do his own chores.

I sat in my bed for the longest time after that. Mello was a wise man, but I wasn't sure I could do what he asked. If I let go of my hate, then Vanelle wins and my parents are left to turn in their graves. What else can I do but seek vengeance?

It was another hour or so before Mat came in to serve me some lunch. Usually it was Mello who would be there, but I suppose this business of his was more tasking than I thought.

He set down the tray before asking how I was.

I merely shrugged. I was unsure how to respond.

Matt didn't seem too fazed by my attitude. "You know, you remind me of Mello. He was such an unsure kid in his days. He knew what he wanted, but didn't know what he needed."

I looked him in the eye at that. "Aren't they the same?"

Matt chuckled. "Not really. For instance, I wanted a giant house, with lots of servants, and a big screen T.V to play all my video games on. I had wanted this since I was a kid and living on the street."

I was quite intrigued by this. "You were a street kid?"

"Yup. Born and raised. My father didn't have a lot of money, and it didn't help that he was drugged up all the time, so my fantasies always led to the impossible. But, once I was taken to Wammy's, I got something a little better than what I wanted."

I could only guess. "Mello?"

He shrugged slightly. "Well, yes. But we were just best friends as children. What I meant was, I got a home. People who loved and cared for me, even when I thought none existed. Mello was just the cherry on top. Him, and everything that came with him. I didn't need everything I'd wanted… turns out, I just needed love. As annoying as the blonde is, Mello loves me. And I love him."

I smiled at that. "You two were meant for each other."

He scratched behind his neck, smiling happily. "He does keep me in check. Speaking of which, I should go do my chores. I skip out to play video games again and he'll tear me a new one."

I cocked an eyebrow at this. "What exactly does that mean?"

He paused, as if to think about if it was alright to tell me the truth behind it. "Umm… you'll find out when you're older."

He turned to leave but before he left I stopped him.

There was one more thing I needed to ask.

"How is it you're so happy all the time? I mean, aren't you even a little bit mad about having to grow up on the street?"

He merely grinned. "Well, who wouldn't be? But what does it solve if I stay angry at something that was in the past. Yes, I was upset. But we all have to move on at some point. If I hadn't, I'd have missed out on meeting Mello and starting a family."

I sighed. "So, even you think I should let go of what happened to my parents."

Matt put a hand on my shoulder, lifting my chin up so I could look him in the eye with the other hand.

"You lost your parents, Ink. You loved them, I understand that. So weep for their loss and take this time to remember the happy moments you had with them. But don't let the hate of who killed them take over your soul. Your parents loved you, and if they loved you then they would want you to live your life happily."

He gave me a hug then. "Remember them fondly. Don't forget about them and how much you care for them. But don't waste your life on vengeance. The dead can't celebrate it with you, so what good would it do? In the end, no one wins. Cry for however long you need to… then move on."

He let me go then and left me to my thoughts.

Another wise man. This family was lucky to have each other.

…I was lucky to have them…

Mello took me in because he loved me like his own. Because he saw in me what I knew my own parents could see. A smart young kid who needed someone to love him. But… I didn't know how to feel about them. I wanted someone to care for me like my own parents had, and now that I had them… I was too scared to be close to them.

Don't be consumed by hate… let it go… move on… it was all the same to me; forget your parents.

"Grieve now…" I repeated, "but don't seek vengeance. The dead can't celebrate it with you anyways."

These words… were right.

If I took vengeance on Vanelle, who would be there to celebrate with me? My parents? They were gone. And there was nothing I could do to bring them back.

"Remember what you had with them." I spoke to myself. "Celebrate your love for them."

This… this sounded right. Celebrating their lives instead of revenge.

But… how?


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Short chapter to end Ink's arc. Next up, Lara. So be prepared!  
><em>**

**_Enjoy!_**

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

"So Ink has family in Greenland?"

_"That is correct."_ L replied through the phone. He had just gotten back from the hospital and was giving me the news about Ink's family.

I sighed at this. "Then I suppose I should let him know about them. I'm sure he wants to be where his family is. And I won't keep him from that. Besides, I'm sure he'll be happier with them than he is here. I know he misses his parents dearly, and there's not much I can do to help him."

_"Well, you should let him know, of course. But let him decide whether he should stay with you or go to them. You never know what he may choose."_

I nodded to myself. "Well, thank you for the call, L. I'll make sure I talk to him later tonight."

With that I hung up the phone and flopped onto the couch tiredly. The kids were already in bed thanks to Matt, so all that there was left to do was make sure Ink was alright. I hadn't seen him since right before lunch and I worried that he'd think I abandoned him.

Matt joined me on the couch a few moments later. "How is L?"

"Tired. But what can you expect? The man was just shot not too long ago." I sat up to look Matt in the eye. "He found Ink's uncle and aunt. They live in Greenland, but I don't know that he's aware of them."

"Well then, we should go tell him." He suggested.

I paused for a moment before replying. "I would… but I also don't want to."

"What do you mean?"

I cuddled into Matt a bit before answering. "Ink is a good kid, and I love him like my own. I don't want to give him up."

Matt held me closer now. "But Ink doesn't really belong to us, Mello. We took him in, but it's up to him if he wants to be part of our family or not. I know it'll be difficult, but if he wants to leave then so be it."

I sighed heavily. "Alright. I'll go tell him soon."

He kissed my cheek then before heading off to bed. I didn't go up to see Ink right away, though. I stayed on the couch a few moments longer to think about how I would approach this with him. I knew Ink was lonely, and that he missed his parents deeply, but I thought he'd find happiness here with us. Were we not good enough? No… I suppose we weren't. We couldn't do the things his parents di for him. We couldn't replicate the same mannerisms and parenting. We could only do what we could and hope he'd adapt. But I suppose that was a little more than difficult concerning the circumstances.

I suppose sending Ink to his actual family was the best idea…

I suddenly felt a small hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Ink standing right beside me. When had he come down from his room?

He was holding his book of stories with him.

I sat up a bit to look at him better. "Is everything alright, Ink?"

He placed the book beside me before crawling up onto the couch and cuddling into my lap. And the silence began once more.

I picked up the book slowly before turning to him once again. "Would you like me to read to you?"

He nodded, bringing out his pendant that I'd given back to him.

Now I understood.

Ink had told me his parents had read to him all the time from this book, every night, ever since he was a baby. He wanted that memory again. Of being read to sleep.

I gave him a small hug before replying. "I'd be happy to read to you, Ink. But I think I should tell you something."

I placed him in front of me so I could look him in the eye. "L found out that you have family in Greenland. They're you're aunt and uncle. He wants to know if you want to live out there with them. He knows how much you miss your family, so he wants you to know there's an opportunity to be with someone from your own blood again."

The look in his eyes was pure shock. Like a wish he'd made over and over again had finally come true. But there was also fear in his eyes. And I knew why.

I brushed a bit of his shaggy hair back. "I know it's a bit scary to travel, but you'd be with your family again. You'd have a home. Isn't that what you wanted?"

It was a long pause between us. Like Ink was calculating the best choice for the moment. This was the moment I was worried about. The moment where he'd say he wanted to leave and be with his real family. I waited for the moment my heart would be broken and Ink would choose to leave and never return…

…instead…

He crawled up towards me and hugged me tightly. "I am home."

And that settled it. Ink made his choice… and he chose to be my son.

I hugged him back happily and I felt a tear prick at my eye. Ink was a sweet boy, and he didn't have to go through all this trauma. But, if he found even the slightest bit of happiness here – in my own family – then I knew he'd be alright.

"Aerrow." He said suddenly.

I pulled him back to look into his eyes once more. "Aerrow? What exactly…?"

"That's my real name. The one my parents gave me. Not even L knows it, but I trust you."

I hugged him again after that. My Ink… my Aerrow... trusted me. More than anyone else.

He cuddled back into my side and awaited to be read to. I obliged happily to his request and turned to one of his favourites that he'd shown me the day we met.

It took more than one story to put him to sleep, but I didn't mind the time being spent on it. Ink wanted to savour the memories of parents reading to him, and I wouldn't deny him this. He had had so much heartache in these past few weeks, and had shed so many tears. For one night, I wanted him to be happy. To see him smile before falling into slumber.

I ended the last story and turned to the sleeping child still cuddled against me. He had a smile on his face, which could only mean he was having good dreams.

I picked him up and brought him to his room where he could sleep in his own bed. Before leaving, I gave a kiss to his forehead and bid him goodnight and good dreams. He deserved this peace more than anyone. And I could only hope he'd find more peace to come from my family.

I opened the door to leave, and a small voice rang out from the dark room.

"I love you, dad."

I turned to the half-awake boy smiling at me from his bed, and I couldn't help the grin on my own face.

"I love you too, son."

And with that, I left him to his dreams.


	19. Chapter 19

**_A/N: Short chapter before I head off to work. Will be back with another tonight!  
><em>**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

**_Three Years Later_**

I suppose my daddy was a bit overprotective, but there had to be a good reason for it. Still, having me take all these extracurricular courses at the Wammy house seemed unnecessary. Yes, I could play the violin well, and I was good at art and writing, but I didn't want any of this. What I really wanted to do was go out and see the world like Lucas and Melina.

Ever since Ink took them to London some years back the two had been traveling around with their dad. This year, since the trips were old enough, Andrei, Mason, and Roxanne would all join them on a trip to Bolivia. There was supposedly an undiscovered tomb there that needed excavating. Apparently, Mello had gotten himself wrapped up in work for his father as an archaeologist… of sorts. I don't believe there was really any digging involved. More like 'find and take'. Either way, he was bringing his kids along with him. All of them but Ink. He was only ten and still a little too small.

But, seeing as how I was the right age, I didn't see why I couldn't go. My father was going with him, so it should stand to reason that I would be allowed to follow. But, my daddy already put his foot down about it.

I really didn't like that either.

My father and mother named me after a video game character, which in itself would be quite sad… but Lara Croft was actually quite amazing! She was strong, sexy, didn't give a damn what you thought, and loved what she did for a living. Even more, she was an adventurer. If anything, my parents gave me the perfect name, because all I could ever think about was the open air and travelling the world to exotic new places. I didn't like being cooped up in a stuffy orphanage of a school, or being homeschooled by tutors at my home. It was too suffocating.

I finished up my work for the day and ran off to find my father. I guess I would ask one last time if I could join him before finally giving up.

Luck be with me, uncle Mello was with him. If anything he'd help me sweeten the deal.

I ran to hug the blonde man and he accepted without question, even picking me up into his arms.

"And how is Miss Lara today?" He asked me.

I gave his neck a squeeze. "I'm alright. I heard you were going on an expedition."

"Yup. To be honest, it's the first one I've organized. So really, it's my first expedition all on my own."

"And…" I said slyly, "your kids are joining you?"

"Lara." My daddy warned.

Mello merely chuckled. "That _was_ the plan, but they're staying home this time. I've heard some rather nasty rumours that more than just my father is interested in this dig site."

He placed me back on the floor before I asked him, "What's so special about it?"

My daddy stepped in. "Now, hold on…"

"Oh quit it, Near." Mello demanded. "The girl was just asking a question."

"Yes, but I don't want her getting it in her head that the more dangerous things are the more fun they can be."

He leaned in to whisper to me. "He's right about that, you know. Things that are more dangerous are the best kinds of fun!"

I giggled at that. "Please, can you tell me!"

He smiled happily. "Well, turned out this dig site might hold clues to where King Arthurs sword is."

I went wide eyed at this. "Excalibur! Really! That's so amazing!"

My daddy sighed heavily. "This is why you're staying home while we go and investigate. L is most interested in this as well so he's helping to fund this, am I correct?"

"On the nose." Mello replied. "All I really need you for is surveillance though. Matt will be home taking care of equipment. We've already got the room set up for worldwide surveillance and monitoring. Mason and Andrei also helped with that."

"Is Lucas disappointed that you aren't taking him?" My daddy asked knowingly.

Mello scratched behind his head. "Yes, but not as much as Melina. She was looking forward to finding Arthur's Excalibur. Matt doesn't understand the obsession."

He then looked down at me before grinning. "Say, how about you let Matt and Winston care for Lara at our home? That way Olive can join you in Bolivia. Lara would get to watch the action from the monitors, and she could take a break from the studies."

I started hopping at this. "Please daddy!"

"Absolutely not! Mello, I already told you…!"

"Calm your pantyhose, mother hen, she won't be in any danger. She'll be safe and sound at the estate, not to mention she'll have a break from the overwhelming studies you put her through. We all need to take a break at some point, Near. Even her. Let her sleep over at our place for a while, it couldn't do her any harm."

"'No harm' you say, except for that boy of yours."

Mello blinked. "Erm… which one? I mean, I admit they're all pretty bad but…"

"Lucas. I don't want him around Lara. He's a bad influence on her."

I blushed a bit at this. My feelings for Lucas hadn't changed since first becoming friends with him. The difference around now?

…

…well… it wasn't that much of a secret to anyone anymore. Except for Lucas, who still had no idea how I felt.

Mello scoffed before chuckling. "Watch what you say, Near. You'll turn your poor girl scarlet if you talk about her feelings."

Yes, even Mello knew. But he didn't seem to care too much about it. He actually supported my crush on Lucas… now.

I don't know why, but my daddy and Mello didn't always see eye to eye. For a few years, both of them were against me and Lucas being even friends. After a while though, Mello seemed to warm up to the idea and later started teasing me about Lucas and I getting married at some point.

I don't know about marriage… but, being his partner might be nice. Maybe his girlfriend…

But he didn't seem to like me in that way… so I never told him about my feelings.

Finally, my father caved in. "Fine, she can stay with your kids and Matt. But if I catch even the very notion that your boy…"

Mello sighed audibly. "They're too young, Near. I wouldn't allow it."

"Oh? What about you and Matt? You two were barely fifteen when you started…!" He caught himself before he could go on.

"Started what, daddy?" I asked genuinely curious.

He blinked a few times. "Erm… nothing… go pack your bags."

I blinked as well before I ran off to do as he asked. I honestly didn't know what he was so worked up about. I mean, what had he meant by '…when you started…!'? What was there to do with someone you loved? Kiss? That didn't seem like a bad thing. My daddy kissed my mother all the time. That didn't look bad at all.

* * *

><p><strong>(Near P.O.V)<strong>

"You ought to watch what you say in front of a twelve year old." Mello commented snidely.

I growled. "Shut up. If it wasn't for you and your liberal attitude about sex and lust, I wouldn't have to be cautious around my girl. She doesn't need to learn about this so early in her life, and I'll be damned if she starts sucking off your boy because he can't keep it down like you and Matt!"

Mello chuckled. "I'd like to remind you that it was Matt who couldn't keep it down. I was merely a relief mechanism for the poor boy."

I turned away from him and stormed off to the kitchen, Mello following.

"You'd better keep her safe, blondie!" I warned.

He rolled his eyes. "Believe me, she'll be fine. Lucas is a good boy, and he isn't that interested in girls at the moment. He really just wants to make my life hell and demand I take him with me to Bolivia. Lara won't have much issue with him, I can assure you."

I made an audible sigh. "Fine, whatever. Maybe it's best she gets out of the house once in a while. She doesn't seem to like studying all that much, but I won't let her talents go to waste."

Mello scoffed as he grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl in from of him. "You are such a dad."

As he bit into his pear I asked him, "And what does that make you?"

He chuckled a bit, swallowing his morsel. "A fun uncle."


	20. Chapter 20

**_A/N: And one last short chapter for the day. Not really about Lara, but it'll show where this is all going. :)  
><em>**

**_Just so you're all aware, yes Tomb Raider is my favourite franchise - and has been since I was seven! - and one game in particular stood out to me the most, and this one is going to be sort of the storyline I follow for this expedition that Mello and Near are part of. If you've played the game, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about, if not... well... just enjoy the ride!_**

**_As always, thank you all for reading and following, and I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

"Oh, so Lara's parents get to go, but your kids have to be left behind." Sarcasm dripped from my tongue. "That seems so fair!"

Dad merely sighed. "For the last time, Near and Olive are going to be there for surveillance purposes. They won't see the site first hand like me. The two need some time off from being a parent and get back into working around now that Lara is old enough to be independent for a while. Besides, I thought you liked her."

I blushed a bit before chasing it away. "I do… like her…" I admitted before looking up the stairs to make sure she hadn't come down from the guest room. "But I just don't see why Melina and I can't go with you? And what about Andrei, Roxy, and Mason? You promised them that this would be the first expedition they could go on with us!"

"I know, but some things change." He said as he sat beside me on the couch. "Lucas, this mission just got a bit more dangerous than I thought it would, so I have to leave you all home."

I fell back on the couch and buried my face in a pillow.

It just wasn't fair, we get this close to helping find Excalibur, and my dad forbids us to go with him at all! The British Museum in London would go nuts for this discovery! I could have been part of history! But now my dad was saying it was too dangerous?! Bull! How dangerous could a dig site be!? I'd been to tons of them with my dad!

The first ever dig he took me to was here in England, and I remember finding my first ever fossil while digging. It was just a little fish fossil, but from that day I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to be an explorer! To find new and exotic places and become a world renown archaeologist! It was my dream! But now my dad was killing my dream, all because he says it's 'too dangerous'! What danger?! Why?! More importantly… WHY NOW!?

My dad lifted the pillow from my face and chuckled a bit. "You know, you remind me a lot about myself when I was young. In fact, I believe L and Light had organised an expedition when I was younger and demanded I stay home, even after I begged them to let me go."

I heard Da laugh from behind the Plexiglas wall that divided the living room from the surveillance room. "And you got yourself into a whole heap of trouble! Serves you right for stowing away on a ship!"

I jolted up at this. "No way! Dad, did you really…?"

"I did, but don't you get any ideas." He warned. "Winston is to notify me right away if you've disappeared suddenly, and I'm too sure you aren't quick, nor intelligent enough, to stow away on a plane. Believe me, it's not as easy as boarding a ship."

I smiled wickedly. "Challenge accepted."

Dad pulled my ear and I instantly took it back. The man knew how to make me cower, but it was quite annoying being treated like a five year old.

He let go of my ear and stood up from the couch. "You can help me by helping your Da. I doubt he'll be as focused on mapping my course as he claims he'll be."

"Hey!" The man from the computers exclaimed. After a few moments though, he shrunk back into his seat. "Okay, maybe…"

Dad sighed heavily before I asked, "What sort of danger is there anyway?"

"Like I said," he replied, having taken a breath. "There are people who are as interested in this site as I am. They even have mercenaries with them… or so I'm told. I can't take the chance and have you and your siblings come with me. Do you understand now?"

I grumbled. "Yes sir."

"Good." He said happily as he pet my hair down. "Now just stay out of trouble and take care of your siblings."

"Who says we need to be taken care of?!" Mason suddenly asked as he was coming down the stairs with Andrei in tow. "We're old enough to care for ourselves, so why do we need a babysitter?"

"Yeah, and why is Lucas always in charge?!" Andrei added. "Why can't it be one of us?!"

"Because last time I left one of you in charge I came home to a charred kitchen and a pool filled with jello." Dad answered them.

"We were hungry!" Mason explained. "And grilled cheese is hard to make."

"You literally put cheese into a pan and let it sit there for an hour!" Dad exclaimed.

"The food name is very misleading." Andrei argued.

Dad crossed his arms. "You didn't even take the plastic off the cheese."

The room was silent for a few seconds before Andrei spoke. "I've got no excuse for that."

"And as for the jello pool," Mason brought up, "that was just for fun!"

Dad rubbed his temples. "I swear I'm going to lose my mind with all of you."

Da laughed at him as he came out from the surveillance room. "Mello, be patient. They're our kids after all, and we both know we were much worse when we were their ages."

"Oh yeah?" Andrei challenged. "Prove it, old man!"

This time, dad chuckled. "When you steal a penguin – or better – from a zoo, we'll officially put you on level with how bad we were."

I had to laugh. "A penguin!? You're joking!"

Dad shook his head. "We kept him for a week, but people found out about him due to the many feathers lying about and the fact we were feeding him fish from the freezer."

"I think we named him Carl." Da admitted. "Or was that the owl?"

"Nope, the owl was named Patrick, and the bear cub was Carl. The penguin's name was Steve."

"Then who was Kevin?" Da asked.

"That was the rooster."

Both my brothers and I blinked in surprise. We were bad kids, I could admit, but our dads were ten times worse.

Dad looked at us again. "Point is, Lucas is in charge as of tomorrow morning. Now off with you. We need to prepare for our dig in a few days."

With that, we were gone.

On the way to the library, Andrei spoke up. "Our dads are fricken cool!"

"The bastards stole a penguin!" Mason added. "Of course they're cool… neigh, AWESOME!"

I chuckled. "So what animal would be better than a penguin, boys?"

"Monkey?" Mason suggested.

"Panda?" Andrei tried.

I couldn't help the sigh. "You know what… I think our dads beat us in this category."

"What about a crocodile?" Andrei asked, trying to find a good animal. "Or a tiger cub?"

"How about a boa constrictor?" Mason added.

"Nah, too dangerous." I waved off. "I'd like to keep my limbs, thanks."

Andrei sighed. "They really did beat us, didn't they?"

Mason nodded. "No contest."

I couldn't help the chuckle. "We should call uncle Light and ask him about all the stuff they did and try to one up them. That should make things more interesting around here."

Andrei laughed. "How much you wanna bet they tore apart Wammy's from the inside out?"

I scoffed. "Please, I doubt they did that much damage. You know how dad is about destroying things."

We did end up calling Light later on that night, and – barely being told half of the stories – we found out how bad our father's had truly been in their youth. No question about it, we were their sons… but only by a small bit. Surprisingly though, they never filled the pool with jello.

…

Well… again… not with jello.


	21. Chapter 21

**_A/N: Short chapter for tonight. I've really not been in the right mood to be writing stuff so I'm sorry if it sucks. :/  
><em>**

**_On another note, I've been asked to do a fic from my cousin based around the little mermaid... but with DN characters. She's not great at writing - so she says - and has asked me to write it for her. I don't know though that any of you would enjoy that. Am I wrong? I'd like your opinions on this idea._**

**_Alright, anyways, enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

My parents and Mello were so lucky.

They were in Bolivia right now surveying the area, while I was stuck at the estate with Mello and Matt's kids. Not that they weren't fun, but I really wanted to be the one to find Excalibur. But at least Lucas was as disappointed as me, so at least we had each other to talk about our disappointment. But, other than that, it wasn't much of a step up. My thoughts didn't stray far from the case of Excalibur, and when they did they focused on Lucas.

I really thought that while our parents were mucking about with myths, I'd be able to tell Lucas how I felt. But the thought of knowing Lucas was only thirteen and barely interested in girls at the moment stopped me in my tracks. It was rather annoying listening to my thoughts urge me on to tell him, then my gut interrupting and telling me it was a bad idea.

I really didn't know what to do in this instant.

I sat beside Matt as he watched on with his monitor, Ink napping in his lap. Although the boy was ten, he was quite small for his age.

I sighed heavily. "I wish I was with them."

Matt chuckled. "Soon, Lara. Maybe next time. This mission isn't quite for children of your age."

"What's so dangerous about running around a temple?!" I asked begrudgingly.

Suddenly I heard Mello chuckling from the monitor. I had forgotten all about the earpiece he was wearing that could enable him to hear all conversation in the surveillance room.

"_Lara,"_ he spoke, _"I know that's all it seems like right now…"_

Indeed. From what I could see on the monitor, all Mello was doing was walking about and recording some of the carved images. There was no real danger afoot from what I could tell.

He continued, _"But I won't risk the possible threat with my children or Near's. Believe me, I know what's right for you all."_

I grumbled. "Alright, but I still dislike being cooped up when all the action is with you guys."

Lucas suddenly came into the room and grabbed a headset to listen in on what we were talking about. "Did ya find it yet?"

"_The_ _dais_?"Mello answered. _"Nope. I'm starting to think this was all for not."_

"It should be there. Research says it's in Bolivia."

I looked towards the blonde. "What exactly is this… dais?"

He handed me a book as soon as he sat down, the page already turned for me. "The dais is said to map out where Avalon is. Avalon is where King Arthur and his sword are said to have been sent after Arthur died in his battle with Mordred."

_"The book we researched said that the temple I'm searching now has never been breached due to traps and hostile animals. I took the under-roads though and managed to get in without much trouble."_

"Leave it to dad to always find a loophole in the process." Lucas smiled out. "Though I'd liked to have helped."

Mello sighed. _"I'm sorry, son. But I…"_

"Couldn't risk it." Lucas finished. "I know. Still, I'm not seeing any…"

There suddenly came a loud noise from the headsets. Propellers maybe? They sounded like it was coming from a helicopter. But… how…?

We looked on the monitors and saw exactly what Mello was seeing…

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

…hundreds… there were hundreds of men dressed in uniform. I'm sure the number was smaller… but this definitely wasn't good either way.

Across a pit and a shoddy rope bridge, there was the dais. A large stone depicting where Excalibur and Arthur may be. I couldn't read it from the stone I was hiding behind… but it was beautiful all the same. Had it not been for the men in uniform I'd be able to get a better look. But this…

I ducked the moment I heard bullets ricochet off the stone I was behind and readied my pistols. I didn't normally use them, but if my life was in danger…

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Someone called.

The bullets stopped and the voice spoke again.

"Don't be alarmed, friend! My men have itchy fingers, and I apologise for this. Please, come out of hiding."

I did so slowly and soon the voice came into view.

It was a nobleman that much I knew. He bore the signet ring of his family, and another gem on his other hand. He was well dressed and well pampered, meaning this man was your typical 'I got everything from daddy' noble. In fact… he looked a little too familiar for comfort. I'm too sure I'd seen his face somewhere.

He grinned a bit when I came into the light. "Keehl, is it? My father spoke about you. Apparently your own father retired mine and sent you into his work. You were the one that ran off… the one raised by L himself."

I showed no surprise to him, but I was more than mortified at the fact he went digging into my past. Another thing I hated about the noble populace; they were all too nosey.

I rested my arms, but still held my pistols. "You are correct, sir. But might I inquire as to who you are? I'm afraid I'm terrible with remembering faces."

He chuckled. "James. James Rottwood."

Rottwood? Well, no wonder his face seemed familiar. James was a friend of my elder brother Emmett. They had a falling out though after I ran off.

He gestured towards me. "Please, come join me."

I stayed put. "I'm afraid I work alone, Rottwood. Meaning I'd rather be here on my own than with you."

He grinned slyly at me before stepping onto the rope bridge.

"You haven't changed, have you Mihael."

Another thing about Rottwood… he had a thing for me that I didn't find the least bit comfortable.

Matt suddenly spoke up. _"Who is this guy? How does he know you?"_

I growled. "Keep silent, Matt. He'll be able to hear you if you speak too loudly."

_"But –"_

"I'll be fine. Just make sure the kids are silent as well."

Rottwood finally stepped out in front of me and gave me a hungry look. "Mihael, you've never looked better."

"Shut it. Just tell me what you want with that dais."

He chuckled to himself before snaking a hand onto my hip. "The same as you, blondie. Fame, fortune, and to find Excalibur. Our King from centuries past no longer needs it, so why not go after it?"

"And if the myth is false?"

He suddenly started to guide me to the dais. "I think this stone says otherwise, Mihael."

Without much time we made it to the dais and I could see the inscriptions upon it much better. They had been etched into the stone carefully and showed a map of the eastern continents. From England all the way down to Africa. Little points were marked on the map that indicated there was more than just this dais to find. If anything, this meant as a map to find something else other than Excalibur. But… what else could there be found?

Rottwood started up again. "My men and I have been here for hours on end, and I've discovered that Excalibur would be here in Kazakhstan." He pointed on the map. "Because the symbol upon it is the same crest that our Queen bears now."

I examined it for myself and found that he was indeed correct… but there was a slight difference. The queen had the crest of the lion and unicorn, but this one had a raven and Lion. It was as close as we could get to the crest of the queen since the crest over England was nothing like the one she had now. A dragon holding a cross? That was far from our queen's emblem today. I suppose Kazakhstan was where to next.

I heard a buzz in my ear before Matt whispered. _"I got the full map. Get out of there."_

I grinned slyly. "Thank you, Matt."

Rottwood took one look of confusion at me before my fist connected to his face.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

I have never, in my life, seen Lucas' dad so able to take care of himself!

I believe he was able to beat up and knock out more than a few mercenaries before making his escape. Bullets and screams of angry men following him. They never caught the man though. He was far too swift for them, and he more than was able to avoid getting hit by any of them.

_"Pack your bags, Matt!"_ He announced when he was far from danger. _"I'll need you to come with me to Kazakhstan!"_

"What about us!?" I asked excitedly.

He scoffed. _"Now what do you think?"_

Lucas was the one to answer in a huff. "Too dangerous."

Matt patted his head. "Next time, bud. I promise."

He merely slumped to the floor, me along with him.

When we both were facing each other I spoke up. "This stinks."

"Like a startled skunk in a manure factory." He replied.


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N: Sorry for the short chapters guys... but I've been thinking...  
><em>**

**_...I might just call it quits after these last stories. I am about to finish one soon, but this one might be my last. I don't know... I just don't think I have it in me to write anymore. It was fun writing for all of you, really... but I think my turn has passed._**

**_Please enjoy the chapter, and the ones to come, my fellow readers! (They may be the last)_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

"This sucks!" Melina exclaimed. "I can't believe they all left us here to find Excalibur!"

I sighed. "This indeed is not what I consider fun." I replied, going through my books of emblems. My daddy and Mello left a copy of the dais with me to decipher the other crests on the map-like object.

My parents, their parents, Light and L, and even Mello's father were all going to Kazakhstan to unearth the ancient sword of King Arthur himself, and us 'children' were stuck at the estate with Winston and Wammy. The two elder gentlemen were more than happy to look after us while they were off having a grand adventure. It just wasn't fair in the slightest.

I growled as I threw my book to the floor. "None of these crests match the ones in my books. They're too ancient to decipher correctly."

Lucas, who was surprisingly calm about all this, picked my book up from the floor and handed it to me.

"Start with the one over England. I think you're just reading too much into all of them at once. I'm sure you can crack this."

I flared my nostrils at him. "And what makes you so sure?"

He grinned a bit. "You're smart, you'll figure it out."

I couldn't help but blush at this. Lucas had never paid me a compliment much before, and any time he came close to a compliment it sent shivers down my spine and my cheeks flushing red. I couldn't help it for the life of me. Lucas always made these effects on me.

Although my father was more than against my feelings for him, I couldn't see why it would be such an issue. Yes, Lucas and his brothers could all be hell-spawns sometimes, but most times he was sweet and nice to me. Plus, he wasn't a bad looking boy. Flowing blonde locks with shining blue eyes, and a smile that lit up the room. I could only imagine how much more handsome he'd be after puberty set in. A deeper voice, a nicer build… it would be worth the wait, I just knew it.

I snapped out of my thoughts and got back to work on finding this emblem he specified. I admit, the dragon holding a cross looked familiar… but I couldn't remember what from.

As the rest of the offspring's around our family bickered, Lucas leaned over my shoulder, his breath hitting my ear as he spoke.

"Any clues as to what it might be?"

I shook the feelings in my chest away and got back to his question. "It might be an English emblem, but I'm unsure what it could be."

He sighed a bit. "Well, this might take a while. The company is nice though."

My blush deepened. Damn me and my hormones! Yes I was only twelve, but dammit if I wasn't mature enough to understand the concept of infatuation. I sure hoped this was all it was… I sure couldn't handle love at this point in time.

Melina started squabbling with her brothers again and I decided to change the subject between me and Lucas.

"Aren't you upset for not being able to go with your parents?"

He shrugged. "'Course I am. But it could be worse." He looked me in the eye. "I could be stuck here with no one to talk to.

I must have been beet red right about then and I immediately turned away from him. Trying my ever loving hardest to focus on my work. It didn't help though that Lucas was so close that he was touching my leg with his. That moment of knowing he didn't mind being close to me sent more shivers down my spine.

I was not an attractive girl, despite what elders said. I was small, clumsy, ignorant, and too shy for my own good. I didn't expect Lucas to ever fall for someone like me in the future. Not with all the tall, thin, pretty looking girls out there. I was just another statistic to the world. A forgotten puzzle piece. I didn't like being that way, but it was how I was born. I wasn't regular, with regular hair and skin, and a regular attitude. No… I was like my parents. Out there and weird.

No… I didn't like being that way.

I suddenly heard Andrei groan. "Hey, at least you _got_ to go on a few occasions!" He exclaimed at Melina. "Us three still haven't gone!"

"Yeah!" Roxanne started. "I was hoping to find more about Arthur and Lancelot! They might have found the Holy Grail for all we know!"

Lancelot? King Arthurs knight?

Knights…

…

His knights? His knights of the round table!

"THEY'RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE!" I announced standing up.

Mason looked at me. "What do you mean? The symbol clearly shows the mark of our monarchy in Kazakhstan…"

"But the mark over England is from the time of Arthur's knights!" I interrupted. "The crest of the dragon and cross was the emblem of the knights of the round table. They probably marked this as a point of preference so only they would know where Arthur lay to rest."

"But why do that?" Melina asked.

"Because it was Arthur's nights who took him away to Avalon, and it was them that went in search for the Holy Grail. Who's to say they didn't find it and went back for their king to bring him back from the dead?"

Lucas got it immediately. "But the Templars of Arthur's time wanted the grail for themselves as a holy artifact of god. They intended to steal it from his knights…"

"So it's hidden away somewhere." I finished. "And that's the reason Arthur's burial place was marked, so others would be able to find him and bring him his holy treasure."

Andrei stood up from his seat on the floor. "So dad and Da are looking in the wrong place? What the hell is in Kazakhstan then?!"

I picked up the picture of the dais and showed it to all of them. "The Raven is not a symbol of England, but it _is_ a symbol of the Norse." I then pointed to another two ravens in the bottom corner. "There's another in Ghana, and a third in the middle of the sea. But the one in Kazakhstan seems to be the most prominent of them."

I then pointed to the emblem of the dragon fighting the phoenix. "This one is Japanese, I know that for sure." I then gave up. "But the rest I have yet to uncover."

"So," Mason began, "where exactly do you think this resting place of Arthur's is?"

I grinned. "Cornwall. It was where Arthur ruled and where the Dozmary Pool is and where most believe the Lady of the Lake may be. She was Arthur's grim reaper and Lancelot's mother. If we find Avalon… she'll be there."

"So… we take the eight-fifteen to the sixty-eight…" Andrei started.

"Find the Tintagel castle where it's claimed Arthur ruled…" Mason added.

"And find this tomb of Arthur's before our parents get back…" Melina joined in.

"Then…?" Roxy asked excitedly.

Both Lucas and I looked at each other happily before I agreed.

"Let's do it! We'll find King Arthur ourselves!"

Not long after that we made a pact to leave at around midnight as to not cause suspicion to Wammy and Winston. They didn't need to know any of this.

It would just be our discovery.


	23. Chapter 23

**(Lucas P.O.V)**

"Why didn't Ink come again?" Andrei asked in a whisper as he fell in and out of sleep on the bus.

"Because he said he'd stall the adults for as long as possible. He doesn't care about King Arthur like us." I answered in a bit of a growl. "Americans."

"He has British citizenship now, Lucas." Melina reminded me.

I sighed heavily making sure not to wake up the others around me.

Lara, Mason, Roxy, and soon Andrei, were all fast asleep while we took the bus to as close to Arthur's castle as we could get. Our stop wouldn't be for another half hour though, and it was close to two in the morning. It also didn't look good that two teenagers were dragging around a few eleven year olds. If it hadn't been for our nice clothes, I would have thought us as looking homeless.

I felt my eyes get heavy but I forced myself to stay awake. We'd already committed to this, and we weren't leaving this mission until we'd found King Arthur himself or his sword.

Melina put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay? Should we turn back?"

"When we've come so far already?" I asked incredulously.

She gave a huff of defeat. "Alright, but I'm just saying that it's incredibly late and we're all exhausted."

"It's a half hour at the most left. We'll make it. Besides…" I looked down at Lara who was sleeping soundlessly in my lap. "You know how badly she wants to prove herself. I can't say no to her."

I heard my sister giggle beside me. "You still haven't told her?"

I shuddered a bit. "No, because her father might actually murder me. The man works closely with L, I'm too sure I'd disappear from existence one way or another."

"But you two are so cute together!" She somewhat squealed. "It's like fate!"

I grumbled. "Believe me, I'd like nothing more than to tell her. But she'd never feel the same about me. She's… brilliant! Top in her classes, can do almost anything without any sort of effort, and to top it all off she's…" I looked down to make sure she was still asleep so she wouldn't hear me. The last thing I needed was for her to wake up and start laughing at me and the notion that she'd ever have feelings for me.

I felt my heart quake a bit. "She's beautiful. I'm just… ordinary compared to her. Anyone can be ordinary, but she's extravagant! Something you don't see every day, like it died out in the wake of war and poverty. And when it suddenly turns up, it's like discovering myths are truths, and truths are nothing more than painted lies."

Melina blinked at me, a coy grin on her face. "Now, where is this romanticised and poetic voice when we're in dram class at home?"

I growled. "Forget it. You'd never understand."

"Nope. I never will understand your infatuation with Lara." She admitted before leaning back. "But, neither will she if you continue to hide your true feelings from her. You never know… she just might take you."

I scoffed. "You say that as if you know she has feelings for me."

Melina was silent then, but her grin still played at her lips. This intrigued me. It looked as if she knew something that I didn't, and I immediately went on the defence.

"Mina? What do you know –?"

"Our stop is here." She suddenly spoke as she got up to wake the others.

I looked out the window and she was correct. We had arrived at our destination. Now to wake up the sleeping beauties and be on our way.

Lara was the first to wake up and the moment she caught wind that she'd fallen asleep on my lap she bolted upright and looked more than embarrassed for herself as she made for the exit. I wanted to stop her and say it was alright, but she was too fast. The moment was over and forgotten almost instantly. It was heartbreaking, but we had to press onward. We had to find Arthur's burial ground before daybreak.

When we hopped off the bus, Lara led the way to the castle that had become a sight attraction for tourists. We'd never been here ourselves, but that just made the experience more inviting.

On the walk to the castle, I got a call from Ink.

"What's up FedEx?" I answered after seeing the caller I.D.

_"Bad news. Dad is coming home this morning. They've already caught a flight. Wammy got the phone call just now, and they're on their way home. They said something about not finding anything these past few days so called off the search."_

"You're kidding me!" I exclaimed, catching the attention of my group. "How long before they get home!?"

_"They're taking L's private plane and it's not making any stops, so I'd say about four hours… max."_

"What's going on?" Melina asked.

"Alright, well work fast." I answered Ink. "Stall them when they get home."

_"Will do."_

I hung up the phone and grabbed Lara's hand before starting up a run. "We have to get to the castle as soon as possible! Our parents will be home in four hours!"

"What!" They all said in unison before running after us to catch up.

"Why so early?!" Mason asked. "Aren't they supposed to be there for a week?!"

"Maye they found out exactly what we have." Lara reasoned. "That Avalon isn't in Kazakhstan, so they turned back."

"Whatever the reason, if they find us we're all grounded for eternity!" I exclaimed. "So let's go!"

Lara picked up her pace and ran alongside me. While we took the front, the Trips and Melina took up the rear of our little marathon group. Before long we were at the entrance of the ruined castle and we tried our hardest to find any sort of clues as to where Arthur would be buried. We even split into groups to help the search go along faster. However, we didn't exactly keep track of time since the sun began to rise before we even came close to a clue.

Lara noticed this. "Sun rises at five in the summer, meaning our parents could be home any minute now!"

I started to panic. "Well… what exactly should we be looking for then?"

"GUYS!" Roxanne called and we all hurried to her side.

When we got there, she showed us a carving on the outside wall of what looked to be the same crest symbol from the Dais. The dragon and the cross. So this was the right place to be… but now what did we do?

Lara examined it further. "It looks out of place. Like it's not fitting properly."

She pushed on the stone a bit and we all noticed it move slightly. It wouldn't go in any further though, so the only way it could move at all…

I took one side of the stone. "Lara, take that side and pull."

She did so and before long we were pulling out the stone to reveal a crawlspace. It didn't look like any of us could fit though. So this was indeed a dead end.

Lara took notice of something though. "This block… it might fit…"

I looked at her. "Fit where?"

She left the group to show us a small hole in the ground that was square shaped. "Bring it here!"

We did so as specified and sure enough, it fit like a glove. But, it still hadn't done anything. I was beginning to think that this was all for naught.

Lara sighed in defeat. "I don't understand. We're in the right place and we did the correct things. So… what do we do?"

I didn't like seeing her like this. I knew how prideful she was on her smarts, and I wanted to tell her everything would be alright. But… it did indeed look like this wasn't worth our time.

I leaned down to console her… when a small clicking sound could be heard from underneath us. Like… a winding clock. Except this one was large. Like it was a giant mechanism.

Lara heard it as well. "What is that?"

I shrugged as Melina and the Trips backed up a bit.

"Uh… guys?" Mason said hesitantly. "I think… I think it's coming from…"

Before he could answer the ground shook a bit before the stone Lara and I sat upon started to slowly tilt. Both me and the ivory haired girl were slipping into a dark abyss before us and there was nothing to stop it.

Melina reached out her hand fearfully. "Grab my hand! Get out of there!"

We tried, but it had been too late. We fell into the darkness, and it felt like forever before we finally hit the ground. Nothing could be seen for what looked like miles on end. I could barely see the hand in front of my face.

To me…

…it was as if we'd entered hell itself.

* * *

><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

"Where are they Ink?!" Mello began to get more frustrated now.

He shrugged, going back to being mute for a short time.

We'd come home from Kazakhstan, having found a new truth to the Dais through more research, and found that Lucas, Melina, Lara, and the Trips, had all disappeared. The only one who knew their whereabouts was Ink. And he wasn't spilling the beans.

We were all growing tired of his stalling and Near was looking to actually being violent. I knew the albino loved his daughter, so it was only a matter of time before he snapped.

Even I was beginning to get a little upset. "Ink, tell us this instant!"

He blinked. "Well… I know where they're not."

"Ink…" Near warned from behind me.

"And from that logic I can tell you that they are definitely not here or around here. But maybe somewhere where they definitely want to be and not where they need to be, but could also have to be and need to be, in which case I definitely do and do not know where they are."

Both me and the blonde beside me were silent. This kid was smart, yes, but managing to stump even us with what he was saying was pure evil. I didn't know whether to be angry or proud anymore.

Mello growled venomously. "I've had enough of this!"

He leaned down to look Ink in the eye. "Son, if you don't tell us where they went I can guarantee you that you will never, EVER, be allowed to read another book again in your lifetime, and I will lock you to the couch and make you watch a full season of Honey Boo Boo! Am I clear!?"

We all awaited for Ink's response. Now this was a threat to him. Lord knows he hated that show and openly despised its being.

He looked scared now. "I thought it was cancelled."

"You don't think I have the know-how to download every episode?" Mello warned.

"Come on, that has to be child abuse!" He fought.

Mello didn't answer him. He just stared at the boy, knowing he was about to crack.

It took a few more moments before Ink caved in.

"They went to Cornwall!" He blurted out. "They found a lead on where Arthur was and I promised to stall for them!"

Mello went wide eyed. "How long ago did they leave?!"

"They left at midnight. They're already there, I called then at two to tell them you'd be home today."

The blonde bolted for the door immediately. "Come on! We have to find them before they get hurt!"

Near and I followed him to the limousine where L awaited us with Light and his father. He told them about Cornwall and what had happened to the kids.

So now, as we travelled to where Arthur once ruled, we could only pray that our children were alright.


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: One last chapter before I go to bed. **_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

The landing was just as painful as I thought it would be. I didn't know how far we'd fallen but I knew that there was no getting out the way we came in.

Lucas helped to stand me up after turning on his emergency flashlight on his phone. "Are you alright?"

I stood up no problem. "I'm okay. But I doubt we're getting out of here through there." I pointed to the square like hole that looked as if to be miles away. "We'll have to sit and wait for rescue."

He pointed his flashlight over to a tunnel. "Or go exploring."

"Lucas…"

"I promise that we'll be okay." He held out his hand. "I won't let go, and we won't lose each other."

I was hesitant, but took his hand anyways. He then guided me deeper into the darkness and an overwhelming sense of dread washed over me. It felt as though I were in a tomb made just for us. Closed in and unable of escape. I wondered to myself if this was what archaeologists really looked forward to in their expeditions. I'd have to ask Mello about it in the future… if he ever forgave us for doing any of this.

True to his word, Lucas did not let go of my hand. We were together until we saw just a small ray of light shining from the tunnel. When we'd ran to it, we found another tunnel with one lit pedestal.

To save energy on his phone, Lucas switched out the LED light with a torch. With this, we were able to see further and even light some torches from the walls. I thought it odd that there was one pedestal that was lit with fire, since there should be someone down here to keep it lit, so I kept on my toes to make sure there weren't any more surprises. We didn't need someone else down here with us, that's for sure.

Lucas took my hand again. "I see something. It looks like a way out."

I could suddenly hear water falling from the direction he specified. "It sounds like a water fall."

"How? We're underground."

I started leading him. "Let's see!"

We ran down the tunnel as fast as we could to where the waterfall was getting louder and louder. Sure enough…

We stopped the moment we entered into the sunlight…

It was incredible!

An untouched piece of holy land right in front of us. And it was hidden to the entire world. The only ray of sunlight beamed in from a small hole up above us. This hole, we knew from exploring the castle, came from Arthur's castle itself. People were walking over this land for hundreds of years, never knowing of the truth!

The land was sparkling with running water from the waterfall, and it gave life to the forestry around the lake that was at the bottom. Sunlight off of every petal that belonged to the flowers, and every leaf that shone green from the trees. All of the beautiful and bright colours reflecting off the clean water down below, like a shining mirror. In this lake I could see a throne donned with many flowers and vines. This throne could only belong to one person.

"The lady of the lake." I whispered. "She was real… and she was here!"

"You think so?" Lucas asked.

"I know it!" I exclaimed as I grabbed his hand and dragged him down the path that led to the Lady's throne. If anything, we'd found Avalon now. But that meant we still had to find Arthur and his sword.

We made it to the forestry beneath us and I marvelled at the beauty of the lake. It was as pure and delicate as holy water, with the calmness of resting doves. It was so magnificent, so beautiful… I never wanted to leave.

Lucas looked into the water. "There's not a drop of dirt in this lake. All it has is shining pebbles. I've never seen such a beautiful and clean lakebed."

_"Why thank you."_ A feminine voice called out.

We both backed away in fear. Looks like we weren't alone.

The voice giggled. _"Don't be shy, my children. I am unable to harm anyone. Especially those as innocent as you."_

A form suddenly ascended from the water, and a gorgeous damsel in a flowing blue dress showed herself. She had the eyes of purity and grace, and long flowing locks of mist. On her neck was a chain of small glowing orbs. Each one a different colour, but all cool and calm.

She had no pupils or irises when she looked at us, but her smile was genuine. "I am the lady of this lake. Welcome to my home."

I… was speechless.

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I jumped out of the car the moment I saw our kids leaning over something. I wasn't mad anymore, but scared. If something had happened to them…

Well… it looked like it already had.

Melina was the first to tell me about Lucas and Lara falling into the abyss. This not only worried me, but Near as well.

"Is my daughter alive!?" He demanded from the kids.

They looked at each other before Mason answered.

"We don't know. They didn't seem to be able to hear us calling them when they fell."

"We're sorry, dad." Roxanne said to me, tears in her eyes. "We didn't think something like this would happen."

"You didn't think at all!" I yelled at them. "How dare you go out and do something as reckless as this?! You put yourselves at risk, and now your brother and Lara might be hurt, or worse dead! Do you have any idea how stupid you were all being!?"

They all cringed from me before bowing their heads down. I didn't always get angry at them, but with this I was furious. My children were much smarter than this, yet instead they chose to go against their common sense and allow their family to get hurt.

I looked to Matt. "Get the supplies. We're going in."

"I'm coming too." Near announced, venom in his voice as he glared at my children.

"No, Near I need you –"

"Mello," he warned, "that is my daughter down there, and no one but me is going to bring her back!"

I'd never seen this kind of emotion in his eyes before. It was anger… but mixed with worry and heartache. If his daughter was truly gone…

I sighed heavily. "Fine. But we have to stick together. It's pretty dark down there and we could get lost."

He agreed before we grabbed the rope and made a line to help us descend into the darkness. Before leaving the kids though, I shot them one last look of utter anger and disappointment and said to them,

"You all are grounded and confined to your rooms for three months! No television, no books, and absolutely no chocolate, Melina! You will all spend these three months studying, writing essays, and whatever else I can think up while I'm down here. Understood?!"

They nodded before all replying with, "Yes sir."

With that, I made my way into the darkness. We wouldn't take the ropes with us after we landed so we could have an escape if anything happened.

Our luck be with us, it looked like Lucas and Lara were alive. They just went off exploring on their own. I happy that they were alive…

…but I couldn't say they were safe for long.

Especially around me.

We followed a dark tunnel then, hoping it would lead the way to our children.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

I didn't know what to say to her. This… thing… spirit… whatever she was… was the lady of the lake? What exactly was going on here!? This couldn't be real! She was a myth! Unreal! But yet… she was right in front of us.

She opened her pale arms. _"Come, Lara River. And you, Lucas Jeevas-Keehl. You both are welcome into my home."_

I couldn't speak. I was too frightened about what to say. She knew our names, like we'd been friends for years. She knew who we were. And now… now what!? What did we do?!

She looked at the two of us. _"I sense great trepidation with you two. You are afraid of me, and of what I can do. Let me ease your hearts, and let it be known that I am not a hostile spirit, but a good ally. If you wish, I may answer all the questions you have yet to ask. But be warned, when one question is asked, I am at liberty to ask something of you as well. Ask a question, receive a question. That is only fair."_

I finally found my voice. "How do you know who we are when we've never met?"

She smiled warmly._ "I know all who step onto my lands. From your names, to your past, and what you desire. Now, tell me, why have you come to this place?"_

I calmed down a little bit to answer her correctly. "We're looking for an artifact, and we were hoping you'd help us find it."

_"Oh? But I have many artifacts."_

Many? What did she mean by that?

She turned to Lucas who asked his question right away. "Do you know where Excalibur is?"

She nodded. _"Yes. I do. Now, what artifact is it that you seek?"_

I couldn't help but giggle at this. She was playing the game well. Lucas had to really think about how he was supposed to ask her for something.

He chuckled to himself. "We're looking for Excalibur, and possibly King Arthur's tomb."

_"Arthur. Yes, I knew him. He was brought to me by the wizard Merlyn. I forged him a sword as he requested."_

"Could you please show us where Arthur and his sword Excalibur were buried?" I asked, being specific.

She hesitated though._ "My dear, if I showed you where Arthur was buried along with his weapon, then you might take the blade as your own. It was made for Arthur and him alone. A king's blade and one that may never break."_

I nodded. "I understand. But many believe Arthur was purely a myth created by story writers. We aim to prove that wrong."

_"But, then Arthur can no longer rest in peace. His body would be nothing more than a site for the eyes of the impure."_

"Please, my lady." Lucas spoke up. "It would mean the world to us."

After a long bout of silence, the lady nodded ever so slowly.

_"Alright. I will unlock the way to Arthur and his blade." _She paused. _ "But first, I must ask you a question of the soul, as I did for Arthur many, many eons ago. I asked the young man why he believed he was deserving of this blade. For this, he answered from his soul 'because I am king. And a king must have a strong arm to wield an ever stronger blade. My lady, it is but for my people that I ask this of you, to please lend this blade to me as a shield for my people.' _

_"And so thus became Excalibur. This story I pass unto thee. Now might I ask, from your souls may you answer, why you must see Excalibur for yourself?"_

I sighed heavily. "Because the world needs to know of its existence!" I repeated.

_"That is not what your heart is saying my dear."_ She replied._ "There is insecurity in your heart, is there not? Is this why you've come so far?"_

Insecurity? I… what did she… how…

"Yes…" I caved. "Yes, I'm doing this because… well… because I have to."

_"Why must you have to…?"_

"Because I have to prove I can do things on my own!" I blurted out. "Because I'm tired of my daddy thinking I'm so small and weak that I can't even pour a damn glass of water! I need to find Excalibur so I can be something other than the weakling of the family!"

It was silent among us before the lady nodded to me. _"Thank you for your honesty."_ Then turned to Lucas._ "And what of you, my son? Why must you…?"_

"Because of my father." He answered without her question. "Because he's always proven to be strong and resilient, even in the face of judgement. He raised me to be my own person, and to have my own path, but every day I look at him and my Da and al I see is greatness. Two men who are worthy enough to be called L someday, yet their son can't even control his little brothers and sisters. I'm here, because for once in my life I want to feel like I can stand beside them as a good man… a great man. If I find Excalibur… I can be that man. A great man instead of a loser."

The lady nodded to him. _"Thank you, my son. You may now pass."_

A door to our right opened up to bestow a set of stairs. That must have been where Arthur was.

We thanked the lady of the lake before moving onward. When she was out of earshot I hugged Lucas close to me.

"You aren't a loser, Lucas." I hugged a bit tighter. "You are a great man."

He hugged me back as tightly as he could. "And you aren't weak, Lara. You're the strongest girl I know. It's one of the many things I love about you."

That word sunk into me like a brink in quicksand. He… loved me? No… I'm sure he meant it in a plutonic way. Like he loved his brothers and sisters. That had to be it. I just knew it. I wasn't deserving of any other love but that.

We stayed in hugging formation for a few moments longer before turning back to the stairs. When we reached the bottom, Arthur – king of all Britain – would be there. Along with Excalibur.

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I couldn't believe what I'd heard from my son. Did he actually mean all of that? Did he truly feel like he was living in our shadow? Is that why he'd done all this? Just to prove he was indeed ours? How… I couldn't believe it.

I leaned against the wall for a moment to catch my breath. Matt was right there to make sure I was alright to continue.

Near sighed heavily. "I didn't know I was babying her so badly. I didn't think…"

"We're all terrible." Matt replied. "Our kids are learning all the wrong things. To stay in our shadows where it was safe and allow us to do all of the grunt work. Hell, look at what they've done in just a few hours to prove they could be as good as us! They're all such brilliant little brats, and how did we treat them?! We yelled and threatened to punish them. How in god's name is this considered parenting? Granted, it was dangerous, and yes I'm more than pissed that they lied to us and schemed behind our backs, but they got so far in one day than we did in four! If anything, they deserve a prize for all this!"

I nodded at his little speech. "I agree with everything you said, Matt. But we can't just stop being parents. They really could have gotten hurt doing all this."

"I know, and I don't condone all of what they did." He replied. "But they did the impossible, Mello. Lucas, Melina, the Trips, and Lara, they all did a fantastic job!" He looked at Near. "And we have to commend them for being as stubborn as we were at their age."

The albino nodded. "I suppose you are correct. I think it's about time I start letting my girl off of the leash for a while." He paused. "But she's still grounded for three months."

"Well, so are ours." Matt agreed.

I zoned out of their conversation right then to see the door to Excalibur close.

"Looks like it's our turn." I announced before making my way down the path to meet this lady of the lake. The two men followed close behind me.

The young looking lady of the lake still remained above the water she walked delicately over. _"Oh? More visitors? Have you come for your children… or the sword?"_

So she did know everything.

I bowed at the waist to her. "We've come for both, my lady."

_"In that case, I will have to ask each of you a question of the soul. Keep in mind, these questions will vary between you three."_

"We understand." I answered.

And so she began.

She turned to Near. _"Nate River, why must you protect your child as if she is about to be taken from you at any given moment?"_

He answered truthfully.

"Because I don't have much of a family, my lady. And I've already risked losing her once. Maybe I overdid it… but she's the only child I have. And I love her so vey dearly."

The lady nodded, turning to Matt. _"Mail Jeevas, what are your true feelings for your partner?"_

I didn't like that question. It made me believe that there was something Matt was hiding.

The red head sighed. "I've loved Mello since we were kids. Yes, he's not the perfect man, but neither am I. He completes me… and I need him to keep me sane."

Finally… the last question.

She turned to me slowly and I could see in her eyes how hesitant she was to ask this. She already knew my answer.

_"Mihael Keehl, why do you hate the nobility?"_

Somehow… I knew she was going to ask that.

I took a breath. "Because one noble scarred me for the rest of my life, and I can't let it go. I've already put the past behind me, but knowing my kids could just as well be affected in the same way makes my hatred resurface. No, I hated nobility with every ounce of my being. But I can't run from it, so I have to embrace it."

The door opened beside us and we were given access to the tomb.

Before entering however…

_"You three remind me of Arthur. Scared… angry… lonesome. Do not let these traits control you."_

The lady combusted into a spray of water and we were left to our quest once more. Find our children, and get out. I'm not sure I even cared about Excalibur at this point anymore.

All I wanted was to go home and forget about all this.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: And, like that, another chapter is done.  
><strong>_

_**Okay, just a heads up, I'm going to be taking a month off from writing, but I'm not leaving for good. I think because I've been writing so much I've lost my touch with the art so I need some time to myself. If I feel like it during my month, I may spit out a chapter or two for fun, but that's a low possibility. **_

_**For the moment, however, I would like your feedback on what I should do next in this story. Someone said they Shipped Mason and Ink, but I still don't know about writing that in quite yet. This would aid me greatly if anyone has any ideas.**_

_**Also, I will be starting on two new stories in the future. One is a Death Note/Black Butler crossover, and the other is a story around the boys falling into an Alternate Dimension where none of them ever met. Where L never became L, Mello was a spoiled brat of a noble, Matt never got off drugs, and Near stayed in his abusive family. (I don't know, but I like the idea)**_

_**As always, thank you for understanding, and enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

The descent took a bit longer than I thought it would but in time we found the end. From there we followed the lit hallway towards a chamber with two large doors. As if expecting us, they opened up to reveal a large room with stone tombs surrounding a tall glass tomb. In it was a skeleton, garbed in kingly attire.

In its hands… it could only be Excalibur.

All we could see was the hilt o the sword, but we knew what it was.

"We found it!" I exclaimed in excitement. "WE FOUND IT!"

Lara jumped into a hug. "I KNOW! IT'S REAL!"

I swung her around and stayed in the hug for as long as I could before realizing how close we were together.

She must have realized this as well because she let me go immediately and backed away. A slight tinge of pink on her cheek. I so desperately wanted to tell her how beautiful she was when she blushed, but I held my tongue for fear of her laughing at me.

I took a breath. "So… what do we do now? Tell the British Museum of this discovery?"

She was silent for a few moments before she spoke her mind. "But… then Arthur wouldn't be a myth anymore."

"Yeah, but he's history's greatest King! Shouldn't it be known that he was real?"

She ignored my question as she walked up to the tomb made of glass and looked into it with sorrow. I followed suit and I couldn't believe what had came over me in an instant.

King Arthur… the King of all Britain's… he was real. And he was gone. Died in battle with his bastard son Mordred. If he went to a museum his peace in the afterlife would be disturbed.

I looked at Lara. "And Excalibur? Are we really going to ignore the fact that it's real too?"

She blinked before turning away. "If you want to destroy Arthur's tomb for his weapon then be my guest. I'm sure your father would be proud to hear about this."

"Excuse me?" I said incredulously. "Weren't you just as excited to get your hands on Excalibur a few moments ago?"

She lowered her head. "If it were separate from him, then yes. But I won't destroy and raid my King's tomb for a silly object like a weapon."

I huffed before grabbing a stone. "Fine then. I'll break it myself. More glory for me."

I went to strike the tomb when I looked into the hollow eyes of my King. The man who had ruled Britain so long ago. A man from the noble caste… one who knew my ancestors most likely… and here he was laid to rest in Avalon.

I looked over to the other tombs and noticed they all had names upon the foot of the coffins.

Bors, Pellinor, Gallahad, Percival, Aglovale, Agravain, Bedivere, Bagdemagus, Cador, Caradoc, and so many others. I remembered all of them from the legends. They were the nights of the round table. Buried by their King to serve him in the afterlife. The tomb that was closest to him belonged to Merlyn. All his knights, all faithful and ready to die for their King, had been placed beside him, in a circle, to commemorate their faith in him.

I turned back to the glass tomb and looked at the long dead King of England…

…I couldn't do it.

Arthur may be gone from the world of the living, but his spirit still lived. And could I steal from my King knowing he could very well be watching me? Him and his band of chivalrous knights? No… it was best to leave the dead in peace.

I dropped my stone. "You're right." I admitted, dropping to my knees. "It'd be a sin to steal from my King. No matter how much glory and fame it would give me, Arthur died to protect his people. Should I repay him by stealing the weapon he shielded us with?" I shook my head, tears in my eyes. "What a god awful person I am for thinking that."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and a warm, familiar voice speak up.

"Our King would be proud of you."

I turned to see dad looking at me with a grin on his face. Behind him was both Da and Uncle Near. I was both relieved to see them… and scared out of my mind.

I somehow knew he'd find us down here.

"Dad? I…"

He held up a hand. "I'll deal with your punishment later. You and Lara need to leave this place immediately. It's not safe- -"

A loud explosion stopped him and we all looked around in panic.

"What's going on!?" Lara asked in fright.

Her father held her close. "I don't know. But we need to leave before it gets to us."

Da grabbed my shoulder and guided me to the exit while dad took the lead with his pistols. I'd never seen my father fire a weapon before… but I almost didn't want to.

We'd just made it to the stairs when another voice rang out.

"FREEZE!" Came the familiar voice of Rottwood as he held a gun to my father's skull. "Don't any of you move!"

We held up our hands as men with guns all filed into the rounded room. Two men separated me and Lara from our dads as the others backed them into a wall. When we were out of his way, Rottwood made his way to the glass tomb.

"So… Arthur _is_ real. Perfect. This means his sword is real as well."

I surged forward but was pulled back by the man behind me. "Don't you dare touch him!"

He chuckled at me. "Boy, it's not Arthur I want. All I want," he paused, grabbing the same stone I'd dropped, "is his sword."

He smashed the glass into pieces, and the body inside crumbled forward. The crown on his head rolling to a stop in front of me, and his sword fallen to the floor in a careless fashion.

Rottwood chuckled. "The grand prize is mine it would seem. Sorry to disappoint, Mihael." He looked to my father. "But this is just business."

Surprisingly, my father sneered at him. "Oh? Well then, take it and go. If you can."

He growled at my father before bending over and taking the sword by the hilt… but it didn't budge.

He tried again… but he still could not life the sword.

He started grunting. "What is this!? How in blazes…!"

I could hear dad chuckle to himself. "You're forgetting one thing. That sword was made for Arthurs and him alone. The only one who can lift it are him and his descendants. But Mordred is dead, and he claimed no heir. The line ended with him… so he handed his sword to one of his men to use. Only the descendants of that knight may lift the sword."

Rottwood looked at my father. "What on earth do you mean? That was never…!"

"Only the heir to the throne may bring the sword from his stone." My father repeated the words of old. "Arthur was the true heir to the throne of England. Therefor that sword was his and his alone. Only those he deemed worthy could hold his sword."

"THE SWORD IN THE STOND AND EXCALIBUR ARE TWO DIFFERENT WEAPONS!" Rottwood screamed at him, messing up his perfectly coiffed hair.

My father's eyes rolled. "The Lady of the Lake put this into mind while forging Excalibur. Only Arthur, his heirs, and his trusted are given the opportunity to wield the sword Excalibur."

I heard Da laugh at this. "Looks like you aren't getting anything, Rotty! Game over!"

"NO! I RUFUSE TO LOSE TO YOU TWO FAGGOTS!" He grabbed his pistol and aimed for my dad…

…then everything was like a blur.

All I remember was getting angry, then next… blood…

…lots of blood…

…from the blade of Excalibur to the hilt where my hands laid…

…had I truly…?

I pulled out the sword and Rottwood fell to the floor clutching his wound. He and his men were in shock at what I'd just done… and I as no different.

The man on the floor got scared of me. "Get me out of here! NOW!"

His men were jerky in their movements but they helped him to his feet.

"Sir, about the witnesses…"

"Leave them…" he said venomously. "Just… leave them…"

They quickly departed and the rest was up to us.

I dropped Arthur's sword and fell to my knees in shock. I couldn't believe what I'd just done. I'd actually tried to kill someone… me! How could I… why would… it was just so scary. To know I had that in me. It was sickening to think about.

My dad put a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, son. Just breathe."

I shook my head. "I can't… I just can't… I tried to kill someone…"

My Da pulled me into a hug. "Relax, my boy. You were just trying to protect the ones you love. Any one of us could have done the same."

I shook with fright as I began to cry. I hadn't ever thought about how easy it was to end a life, yet I tried to do so anyways. Even if it was in the name of protecting my loved ones, it was still scary to think that with the right provocation I could end someone forever. How could murderers sleep at night with that thought?

I noticed my dad walk over to the sword and pick it up without hesitation. That's when I realized something.

He chuckled. "Well, it looks like granddad was right."

"I thought you said only Arthur's trusted and descendants could wield his sword." Lara mentioned.

Dad only scoffed. "My grandfather used to tell me we were related to Bedivere, Arthur's most trusted knight. He brought Excalibur back from the field of battle to let it rest with Arthur in his eternal afterlife. I suppose I am his ancestor."

He looked over to the corpse of Arthur and began working to rest him in his previous state. Although the glass had been shattered, Arthur was placed back into his position and his crown upon his head once more. All that was left was his sword.

He turned to Near first. "Take them back upstairs and…"

"Hold on." I stopped him. "You guys once told me that you don't know who's kid id whose because you swore never to find out. Since both dad and I can pick up Excalibur…"

Before I could finish, dad took the sword and handed it over to Da. And, just like that, both of my fathers could wield the blade itself.

I backed off then. I knew they wanted to keep this fact secret from us, but I knew I'd get to the bottom of it someday. There was always a chance to learn something new in my family.

Dad chuckled. "A good try, son. But it's also the trusted that may be able to wield Arthur's blade. I am a descendant of the trusted, and I trust both you and your father. There are no ties here."

I sighed. "Fine… I will find out someday, though!"

We turned to the stairs but before we were out of sight…

"And one more thing, children."

Lara and I turned to him.

He flared his nostrils a tad. "You're both grounded for three months."

Lara and I sunk a bit. I suppose that was good enough of a punishment.

* * *

><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

As Near and the two disappeared up the stairs, I looked to the blonde beside me.

"So, care to explain this?" I asked as I held up the sword.

He took it back from me. "Like I said, you and Lucas are trusted people in my life."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Oh? You sure you don't want to confess something?"

He grinned at me before placing the sword back in Arthur's possession. "What good would that do, Matt? He's _our_ son… not just mine."

I chuckled at that. "I suppose you're right.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

"So, what was it like to hold Excalibur?" I asked Lucas excitedly as we sat on the grass, waiting for Mello and Matt to finish giving their 'report' to L and Light.

I knew they wouldn't say anything about Arthur or his tomb. They wanted to preserve it's majesty as much as we did.

Lucas shrugged. "I don't really know. I just wanted to protect my dad. I didn't even think about the sword I was wielding, just that everyone was okay."

I smiled happily at that. "I'm glad you were the one to control it. Anyone else and it'd be a waste of metal."

He grinned slightly. "Thanks."

"Lara," My father called. "Come on, we have to go home now."

I sighed heavily as I stood up, Lucas along with me. "Tell your brothers and sisters that I'm sorry for getting them grounded."

He scoffed. "Please, I helped in this just as much as you did."

I gave the tiniest grin before looking away. I was about to leave him when something came over me and I just couldn't deal with not knowing anymore.

I turned around and gave Lucas a quick peck on the cheek before running off back to my father who waited for me. I didn't even look back to see his reaction.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Just so there's no confusion, I'm not done with this story yet. I'm just taking a small break for a while. I will come back to this I promise!**_

I couldn't breathe. Hell I could barely register what had happened.

Lara… kissed me?

I looked back at her to see she'd already jumped into the limousine and was on her way home.

I couldn't let her just get away with that… now could I?

I ran after the vehicle as fast as I could. It hadn't reached top speed yet when I knocked on the window where she was sitting.

The window rolled down, and she poked her head out. "Lucas? What on earth…?"

"You want to go out!?" I blurted, not even thinking.

She blinked. "Are you insane?!"

I shrugged. "Maybe! Yes or no?!"

She took a pause and the vehicle got faster, too fast to follow. I ended up stopping to catch my breath, but what happened next took it away again.

"I'd love to!" I heard her call to me. "After I'm done being grounded though!"

I couldn't help the giant smile on my face. "I'll call you then!"

That's when her father called back instead of her. "No you won't!"

I grinned cheekily to myself. "Oh, yes I will."

I turned back to find my family and ran to the field to join them. I couldn't wait to tell someone about this! About having a date with the one girl I'd idolized since I was ten.

…but… there was one problem I faced…

…

I'd never been on a date before.

Oh well. How bad could it get?


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: Well... I'm not getting a break. My semester's almost over, my work days are slow, and I've finished all my homework!  
><strong>_

_**CONGRATULATIONS FOLLOWERS!... you win.**_

_**I shall return with another chapter... when I feel like it. you won't know when... but it shall come when you least expect it!**_

_**...**_

_**Probably tomorrow...**_

_**...**_

_**But... well... it's a Monday... and I like to not work those days...**_

_**...and I'm rambling now...**_

_**Alrighty! Enjoy the chapter, review if you can, kiss a monkey, hug a dolphin, and don't forget to always adopt guinea pigs!**_

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><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

"Remember, go for the compliments about her butt!" Matt demanded. "She'll be putty in your hands!"

"Matt, I swear, if you give this child one more incorrect advice, I shove this brush down your throat!" I threatened.

"Come on, it worked for you!" He tried.

I leaned in to whisper to Lucas, "Take any of his advice, and you can kiss that girl goodbye."

He chuckled. "At least I get a kiss!"

"Good man!" Matt praised.

I pulled back the brush on his hair tightly and he yiped. "Oh, you'd get a kiss alright. From her fist right to your lips."

He shrunk at this. "Erm… point taken."

I continued to brush the boy's hair in preparation for his date with Lara. They'd been anxiously waiting for this for three and a half months, and I was more than ready to help if if he needed me to. Actually, it was quite calming brushing his hair… until Matt started coming in with all this 'advice'. Honestly, the man was just an embarrassment some days.

"Oh!" He started up again. "And make jokes! Girls love a guy who makes jokes!"

"And you know this, how?" I warned.

"Television." He answered. "Also, you should talk about your car. I know you don't have one, but make it up!"

Lucas sighed, then turned to me. "Any advice, dad?"

I beamed at the boy before Matt finally gave up. "Just be yourself, Lucas." I said before hugging him close. "She didn't say yes to this date because of lies. She wants to be with the real you."

"But… I'm nervous. What if she starts to hate me?"

I went back to brushing his hair to calm him down. "She won't hate you if you don't give her a reason to. If she hated you, why would she have said yes?"

"To mock me?"

I kissed his head lovingly. "No. Now stop being negative." I took the elastic and pulled the hair away from his face. He always did look better when he wasn't constantly flipping hair from his eyes.

"Now go upstairs and get dressed. She'll be here soon."

He did as asked and was soon up the stairs and getting ready as quickly as he could.

The moment he was out of sight, I hit Matt with the brush as hard as I could. "Really, Matt?!"

"Hey, I want this relationship to flourish! He and Lara are meant for each other!"

"Since when are you a hopeless romantic?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He got down on one knee and held my hand. "Since the day my eyes first laid upon yours and I thought to myself… he is bammin', slammin', bootylicious!"

I hit him again with the brush but he just giggled. "Oh come on! I was joking! I mean –"

Too late.

I hit him harder this time, and he soon tried to grab the brush from me. It was useless though since I was faster and hid it away beneath my arms. Of course, he was stronger so he picked me up and slammed me into the couch – however lightly he tried – and tried to tickle it away from me.

"Matt!" I squealed as he kept tickling. "Seriously! STOP IT!"

He made a grab for the brush but I still held it as close to me as I could. "Give it up Mels!"

"Fuck no!"

He finally got hold of the brush, having to pry it from my hands, then promptly spanked me with it once. The only thing I could think of was thank god that the kids were not here to witness that.

He chuckled. "There, we're even."

I flared my nose at him. "You are a cruel man."

He crawled on top of me and held my hands down. "And you are a sexy beast."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Not now, and you know why."

"Can't we just lock those brats in their rooms for a few hours? Where's the damage in that?!"

I sighed. "Later, I promise. For now," I paused to kick him off of me, "Lucas needs our help."

He groaned. "You, my fine piece of ass, are a tease!"

I couldn't help the grin. "I haven't seen you this horny since we were teens ourselves."

"What could I help!? You wore such… tight clothing. Even more, you kept up that nice body since then."

"Is that all I'm good for? Satisfying you?" I asked, looking for the correct answer.

He sat up to look me in the eye. "Mello, I didn't fall for your looks, your money, or your fashion choice. It was always that big sexy brain of yours and you know it!"

I rolled my eyes at him before falling back on the couch. "Nice save, goggles."

I felt his lips on my cheek for a quick second before he whispered to me, "We could sneak out to a hotel room and leave the kids with Winston. Would that work?"

I hummed in response. "We'd have to wait until Lucas leaves for his date. Then get Near out of the estate before he can start rambling about Lucas not treating her right and blah, blah, blah."

"I can wait a half hour." He promised.

I kissed his cheek right back. "Pack a small bag, and remember to bring my hair products."

He scoffed. "You're just as horny as I am!"

I patted his back to make him get up and get packed. "Six kids, Matt!"

He nodded. "That is a chore. No wonder we haven't done anything in a while."

He ran off soon afterwards to grab the small pack I'd ordered him to, but right as I was about to get up and find Winston, Lucas came back down in his nice eveningwear.

"How does it look?" He asked a little nervously.

I smiled proudly at him. "You look ready for a date. But where are you taking her exactly?"

He shrugged. "Movie? Then maybe out for ice cream."

I hid my smile as best as I could. This just sounded like a typical first date for a fourteen year old.

I cleared my throat to chase away the smile. "I believe that would be perfect for your first date."

"Then…I have one more thing to ask." He spoke nervously.

I sat back down on the couch. "What is it?"

He seemed a bit shifty at this, but he asked anyway. "What do I do… if things progress?"

I was a bit confused by the question. "Explain."

He sat on the couch next to me. "Like… what should I do afterwards? I read on the internet that girls need to be pleased, and that it's my job as a man to keep her that way. Like it's a job."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Lucas, where on the internet did you read something like that?"

He shrugged. "I just got nervous a few days ago so I looked up what to do, and it said –"

"Stop. Stop right there, Lucas." I demanded. "I don't know how you got it into your head that something like that is alright, but don't you dare act on that."

"What? What are you talking about? Isn't my duty –?"

"No! It is not your 'duty' as a man to keep a girl pleased. And I believe what you _think_ you read, and what you_ actually_ read were two different things. What you're talking about is flat out rape."

"What!? No, I didn't -!"

"You made a mistake… and so did I. Let's leave it at that."

"But… I just don't understand! How is keeping her pleased rape?! She'd be happy, right?"

"Lucas!" I forced out. "You don't understand what 'keeping her pleased' means, do you? It's sex, something you are wholly unfamiliar with."

"Well then shouldn't I know by now? I'm fourteen, and it's not like it's bad. I've read that people my age do it all the time!"

That was the last straw.

I stood up from my spot. "Go to your room, right now."

"What! Why!?"

"Just go! You aren't ready to be dating anyone right now, especially if this is the way that you're thinking! Now go!"

I'd never raised my voice to just one of my kids. It was either all or none. But Lucas… how dare he think that anything he was saying was alright! How could he possibly think that this night would end in sex?! Was he truly thinking this would happen?! AT HIS AGE!?

He slowly slid off the couch, a new kind of fear in his eyes. He didn't say one thing before running up the stairs to his room. I let go of my breath the moment I heard his door slam shut.

I hated to do this to him, but if he was going to act this way… I couldn't have him with Lara. Not right now.

The front door opened and closed and before long Near was in the room with me with Lara trailing behind him.

He grumbled. "Well, where is he? I want this date to be over and done with as soon as possible."

I took a moment to catch my bearings. "He's not going out tonight. I'm sorry."

"What?" Lara spoke up, her voice quiet. "Did he change his mind?"

"No, I did." I told the truth. "Lucas is not mature enough to be going out with anyone at the moment. It's best that he stays here tonight."

Near huffed knowingly. "Like father like son. Let's go Lara."

"But…"

"Now!" He raised his voice.

She quietly followed him out the door, and the moment he left I let the tears fall. He was right. I was too liberal when it came to what my children read or believed, and in the end I almost let something truly bad happen. This wasn't good.

Matt came down the stairs to find me crying and he asked right away what had just happened. When I told him about everything that had just transpired, he hugged me close.

"You did the right thing." He assured me. "Lucas is way too young to be thinking about any of this. Informed, maybe, but actually going through with it…"

I wiped away a tear. "We should talk to him about this. Tell him the truth about love and sex. It'd be wrong to punish him right now with him thinking there's nothing wrong."

"You want me to do it? I could make it less awkward for him." He tried to be funny.

I only smiled a tiny bit. "No, it's better that the both of us do it. Light was the one who taught the both of us remember? So it's best we both talk to him as his parents."

He nodded. "Alright. But we really shouldn't wait."

I gave a long and heavy sigh. "Alright. Let's get this over with before he starts hating me more."

The rest of the night was spent trying to teach Lucas exactly what Light taught us. To wait until he was ready and to never think it was alright to force himself onto another. He seemed to understand, and he more than cried when he realized the mistake he could have made tonight had I not stopped him. He was honest when he said he didn't want to hurt Lara, and that he didn't know that what he planned was wrong. He thought he was just trying to be a good man for her… but he was wrong. And he was more than thankful that I kept him home.

The night ended when we left Lucas to his thoughts. I didn't like thinking that he was going to be like me and start experimenting early, but it sure looked like this would be the case. And I feared for that more than anything.

There was no guarantee that Lara and Lucas would be together for as long as Matt and I have been together, so I worried for them moving too fast. Hell, even when I knew Matt was my one and only, I knew I moved too fast with him. I was barely fifteen when we started actually doing anything, and it was thanks to that loudmouth Near that we got in trouble from Light about it. But, I'm glad he spoke with me. If he hadn't, I doubted I would have waited with Matt for much longer.

Matt kissed my cheek thoughtfully. "Everything will be alright. Lucas is a smart kid, and he knows now what he was thinking was wrong."

"But what if he'd never come to me?" I asked before sitting on the edge of my bed. "He could have done some real damage had he not spoken with me. I feel like the world's worst parent right now knowing my child thought any of that was alright at his age."

Matt kneeled down in front of me. "Mello, you are not the worst parent on earth. How do I know? Because your child trusted you enough to come to you to ask about this before going out and attempting it. You raised him to seek help when he needed it, and it led him down the right path tonight. Please try to remember that."

I shook my head. "Maybe Near was right. Maybe I'm just too lenient…"

"Stop. You are not too lenient. If anything, you're the strictest one in the house." He joked. "And furthermore, if you'd caught our boy doing anything to that sweet little girl, I know you'd never even let him outside his room again. Hell, I'd think you'd send him away to Japan to live with Nan and Sofu and learn a thing or two."

I half grinned at this. "Matt… what would I do without you?"

He gave me quick peck on the lips. "Die of boredom?"

I smiled a bit more now as he cuddled into my chest. "You're a good parent, Mello. And I couldn't love anyone more than you. I hope you know that."

I hugged him close to me, taking in his warmth. "I love you to, Matt. More than anything."

We decided not to leave that night, for obvious reasons, but I didn't get much sleep anyway. I was still a little nerved up by the night's events. Yes, everything was stopped before it could even be planned… but to know that it _could_ have happened scared me immensely.

But I'd stopped it… and I should have been happy about that.

…yet… all I could do was revel in the thought…


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N: And yet another chapter. **_

_**In class though, so gotta make this quick...**_

_**Enjoy the chapter, review if you can, eat carrots, shave a cat, and don't forget to sing your favourite song in another language.  
><strong>_

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><p><strong>(Mason P.O.V)<strong>

"YOU SNIPED ME!" Andrei screamed. "WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM, YOU DICK!"

I couldn't help the grin of utter evil. "The Dark Raven kills all. Even his own brother."

He slammed his laptop closed and stormed off to the kitchen. "You're such an ass!"

I giggled. "Hey, watch it! Dad will give us five across the ass if he hears us swearing!"

He disappeared then, slamming the kitchen door. No doubt he was going to tell Da about me sniping him on purpose. There were many rules of gaming, and one of them was never snipe your partner. But, the Dark Raven followed no rules but his own! Even if it meant the death of his teammate.

I finally shut down my game and leaned back to revel in my glory. One hundred kill streak. No one was able to stop me.

Well… except for one.

The devil himself had just walked in to see what the commotion was, book in hand and a bit of fear carved on his face. "What happened?"

Ink had now been with us for a full four years and during that year I'd more than developed feelings for him. I didn't know whether they were genuine or not, but I knew how I was feeling. And I mean… Ink wasn't exactly bad looking. Then again, he was eleven and I knew it wasn't right to even think of him that way, so I chalked this up to a crush.

Still, infatuation aside, I wasn't sure how to deal with this. I was thirteen so hormones were raging, but Ink was still technically a kid. Well… so was I… but still…

He crawled up onto the couch as I answered. "Andrei's just mad because I sniped him and he was my partner."

He scoffed. "The Dark Penguin strikes again."

"RAVEN!" I exclaimed. "How hard is it to remember Raven!?"

He giggled. I knew he was just messing with me, but COME ON!

I growled, sitting back and grumbling. He ended up lying his head on my lap however and I had to stop myself from blushing.

"I'm sorry, Mason." He said in his little kid voice, eyes big like a puppy.

I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Whatever. At least you aren't like Andrei," I looked to the kitchen, "WHO'S A BIG BABY WHEN IT COMES TO GAMES!"

"DA'S ON MY SIDE, YOU PRICK!" Came his reply.

I scoffed. "Baby."

Ink cuddled closer. "You were the one to snipe him."

I grinned a bit, not being able to chase the blush away.

In the four years Ink had been with us I'd gotten closer to him than anyone else. I was always protective of him, always remaining by his side, and always making sure Lucas stopped picking on him. He called it brotherly love, and Ink never seemed to mind, but I never wanted anyone but me to touch him. He was too fare and frail to be handled by Lucas. With me, he was always safe.

I'd constantly worried for him since the day he went to the doctors due to his weight loss. They said he just had a high metabolism, but I thought it was worse and remained at his side ever since. There were times where he wanted to be alone, and I respected that, but I was never far away from him. I left him alone for maybe a few hours, then I was right back by his side. I think I got that from my Da since he never liked to leave Dad alone for even a moment. I sometimes wondered what is was that made my dads so protective of each other, but I brushed it off more times than not. They were happy… so why question it.

I pet Ink's hair down. "How was your book?"

He looked at the cover of it and made an unimpressed look. "It was lacking in continuity, and the plot was terrible. Whoever recommended this to me is no longer on my friend list."

"Wasn't it me who gave it to you?" I asked in a sort of warning.

He paused for a moment to register this. "Erm… was it? In that case I loved it!"

I hugged him closely with a chuckle. "Don't worry about it. I know it sucks. I just wanted to get rid of it."

He promptly hit me with his book and I couldn't help the giggles. It was just fun to mess with people, especially if it got me an attention from Ink.

He calmed down and went back to lying on my lap. "You really are a prick."

I just smiled happily. "Yes, but I'm a fun prick! Like Da!"

He rolled his eyes. "Sure… whatever you say."

He cuddled just a bit closer and I could immediately feel his heartbeat with how close he was. It caused my own heart to skip a beat and I had to once again try to chase the blush away.

Although Ink was eleven right now, he wasn't bad looking in the slightest.

He had medium short hair, black as ink itself, with shining blue eyes that reminded me of a clear blue sky. It was like night and day in one, and both made my heart race and skip at the same time. I'd never met anyone with more beauty, especially a male. Then again, one could mistake him for female if they didn't get a good look at him. But I didn't mind that. I still thought he was beautiful, even if he was an odd one out.

But, like I said before, it was not looked highly upon to be thinking this way at a young age. My own Dad gave Lucas hell for thinking about sex so early on in his life. This was just last year in itself, and he was only just recently allowed to go on dates with Lara. The two weren't allowed to be alone for the moment, but it would come soon enough when Lucas could be trusted to be alone. But that day would not come until he was past sixteen.

While I was thinking about this, I could feel two lips press against my cheek, and no longer could the blush be stopped. Could he… did he… and I… INK!

I looked down at him and he cringed. "Sorry… I… I just…"

"N-no." I interrupted. "Don't be. I… I don't mind."

"But… aren't we technically brothers?"

I grinned nervously. "Well… our dads were technically brothers due to adoption, but that didn't stop them. Who's to say we shouldn't… you know…"

He leaned forward and planted his lips on mine and I could no longer feel my head. This was like every fantasy and dream I'd had about Ink being granted in one single swoop. But… we were still…

I backed away from him and Ink looked more than hurt. But I had to explain it to him that we were too young for this, especially him.

"But I'm mentally older than I appear." He smiled out. "And I really like you, so why shouldn't we be together. It's nothing much, and we don't even have to let Dad and Da know. It'll just be us and we can do more when we're older."

I blinked in surprise. I'd never even imagined Ink was capable of thoughts like this. Had he been thinking about me as much as I had him? Has he been planning this for some time now? Granted, I was happy to see that he wanted to be with me, but Ink was so innocent and small! How could he think like a deviant?!

He kissed me again and I backed away once more. "Ink, we're still…"

"Too young?" He interrupted. "Well, you're right. But are you so against my plan?"

No… no I wasn't. I wanted to have this bond with him… this relationship. But what if our dads found out? We'd get a scolding worth a six month grounding.

I finally caved. "No, Ink. I'm not against this plan. But if we get caught…"

He merely cuddled me happily. "We won't get caught. Believe me, I know what I'm doing. Just act as if you would were we still just brothers."

"But why now? Why are you confessing right now?"

He smiled before cuddling his head under my chin. "Because you're single, but you're a teenager. And Dad has expressed putting us in school. If that happens, I won't have you for myself. If I didn't confess now, then I lose my chance and have someone take you from me."

"So… wait, you honestly like me!?" I asked, not sure I should believe him.

He giggled. "To be honest, I've liked you since we met. But I wasn't sure about anything until just recently, so I took a chance."

"And… how long have you known…?"

He kissed me once again, but I didn't back off this time. When the moment ended, "Since a few weeks ago when you wouldn't leave me alone after the doctors."

My blush got deeper. "Oh…"

He chuckled. "So what do you say? Shall we spark up a relationship?"

I blinked. "Only if you promise that Dad and Da NEVER find out. Not until we're in our late teens."

He hugged me happily. "Deal!"

I hugged him back and my mind went hazy. This was probably not right… but, then again, I didn't care too much. I mean… I had Ink all to myself now! And in just a few short years, we could tell our dads and have more freedom! That's just it! Think about the positives!

If only I thought about how many negatives there were to this.


	28. Chapter 28

_**A/N: Really sappy chapter, but I hope you like it!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

I wasn't usually this horny, in fact I hadn't been so for a many number of years, but the fact that Mello had been gone for a whole month because of another expedition was driving me bonkers. I was always able to touch and feel him, and it usually got me through the day when we couldn't have any alone time. But with him gone I was losing my mind with want. Even more, I was becoming quite short with the kids lately due to my needs, and I had no way to tell them the truth about the matter. I was left alone because of that and it took a lot to make them realize it had nothing to do with them.

Mello would be back today anyways, so I didn't have much to worry about anymore.

When he finally came home, it was an hour or so later before he saw to me. It wouldn't be until later that night that I'd give him a proper welcome home, but with how desperate I was I decided to reinitiate my plans with the hotel. Winston was more than happy to look after the kids while I took Mello out for dinner as a welcome home. The kids were more than annoyed about leaving them behind, but I knew they'd be too occupied later on to care.

The moment we were alone, Mello started with the questions.

"Did you get them into the school?"

"Yup," I answered, keeping my eye on the road. However much I wanted to avoid a serious conversation, I knew Mello was against them going into school. However, we both knew it was better for them than staying at home and doing nothing. Who knows, they might actually like school for all we knew.

"Alright." He sighed out. "I guess that's it then. Prepare to have their lives ruined."

"Well… how about this." I suggested. "We put one of them into school and see how they do. If anything happens in the first few days, we pull him out and keep him home."

"What does this accomplish?"

"More than you think. Just trust me. And stop worrying tonight, we're out to have fun while you're in town. Who knows when you're going to be hopping another plane outside of home again."

He hummed. "You're just desperate for some alone time with me."

I paused. "Well… that to. But who says we can't enjoy dinner as well? I'd rather wine and dine before getting down to anything."

I could just feel the eye roll. "You still haven't changed since we were teenagers. Only this time you got stubble."

"Uh, it's a beard." I scoffed at him. "You'd better recognize."

Another eye roll. "It's a soul patch at best."

"A type of beard!" I asserted.

He then pinched my little spot of facial hair. "Aww, it's like a small mouse! You conditioned it!"

I elbowed his arm away, not even trying to stop the smile. "Shut up! You know you love it!"

He chuckled at me and I could only smile in return. I'd missed Mello's laugh.

We made our dinner reservations on time at the hotel, but it didn't last long since we were both anxious for our alone time. We wouldn't be back until morning, that was evident, but I didn't want the night to end so early. In truth, I don't believe Mello did either. I believe he missed me just as much as I missed him. We weren't separated often and when we were we always kept tabs with each other. This time, however, our surveillance system had been hit with a virus and it took forever to get it up and running again. By then, I couldn't get a lock on Mello's signal and I had to stick with calling him every morning to make sure he was alright.

It had been a rough month without Mello. And I was more than happy to have him back home and in my arms once again.

We finished our dinner early and made for the rooms almost instantly. Since the kids were in the house, our private time was either interrupted by a fight or demands, or it didn't happen at all since we were both tired. I didn't mind that, however, being that just holding Mello in my sleep was enough for me. But there were just days where I wanted to lock the kids in their rooms so I could have my own time with the blonde. But such an act was considered child abuse, so I calmly waited for my chances to arise. More times than not I was amazed at myself for how utterly calm I was whenever we were interrupted.

Tonight though, I didn't have to worry about any kids. No fights, no demands, and no waiting. Just a night between me and my blonde.

Mello was not fazed in the slightest when he saw the hungry look in my eye. "My poor Matt. Are you just dying to get a hold of me?"

I think my eye twitched. "More than you believe."

He patted the king sized bed. "Then lie down and enjoy the show."

"A strip tease? From you? This has to be my birthday or something." I joked as I removed my coat.

"You wish." He grumbled. "But, let's call this a gift since you've been more than patient with me and the kids."

I shuddered. "Do not mention the 'K' word tonight. I want this moment to be perfect."

He bowed to me in jest. "Of course, your highness."

With my coat and shoes off, the show could begin.

Mello still wore everything, aside from his shoes, but waited for me to get comfortable before slowly sliding his jacket off of his shoulders, revealing his silk shirt underneath. The rest of his movements were slow and deliberate. Playing with his hair, touching his own body, and ever so slowly flicking off different items of clothing.

The whole time he moved I kept my smile on my face.

Ever since we were younger Mello had been the sexiest man I knew. He was tight, thin yet curvy, and his skin was softer than silk itself. He'd kept that about him for years and he was still the sexiest person I knew. The one thing that held my attention the most were his eyes. Bright and shining like a clear blue sky in winter, and sparkled like a thousand stars from the sky. His face just perfectly carved to fit into the palm of my hand. His eyes were what first made me fall for him, but it only got better when I noticed how curvy he really was. Hips and ass perfectly rounded, nice legs, and a soft touch from his hands. Everything I could want in one package. What sealed the deal? His brain. I could listen for hours as he went about what he learned or what he was writing about, and just get lost in his voice. Some people thought I was crazy for falling for him, but I couldn't help it.

His shirt slipped off and my pants became tighter. There was nothing sexier than my man without his shirt.

Yes, Mello was a handful, but the fact that I'd been able to tame him, that he was with me and me alone, and that no one else could have him, just sent me over the top. I liked the challenge I got with him, the utter animalistic nature that only calmed for me and rose again in the heat of the moment, sent my body into shivers of delight. No one had this effect on me, and I didn't want anyone else to anyway. Mello was perfect for me, and I'd be damned if anyone else got to see and touch this man the way I could.

He was all mine.

His buckle flipped open and I felt my mind go hazy. He was truly making me wait for this, but I could handle it. The show had barely even begun.

I was always protective of Mello because he knew how sexy he was. I remember a time when he barely used to change in front of me because he was so shy about himself. I knew why, too. He had felt wrong about himself since the day he had been raped by that perverted noble. No… not day. More like months. And the moment he was free he had learned that the human body was a disgusting thing, meant for only sins. It's why he'd been shy about sex, and I knew I shouldn't have persisted him when we were younger. And I had no excuse for my actions… I wasn't thinking about Mello then. It had only been about what I wanted.

Down went the leather pants and soon I was the only one fully clothed.

He crawled up to straddle me, and his lips met mine. I didn't know when he'd taken off my clothes, but it wasn't long before there was skin to skin contact. It was hard to concentrate with his lips nipping and sucking at my neck, but my thoughts were still active.

I had to say it at least once before we continued.

"I love you Mello. You know that, right?"

His actions slowed to a halt and he looked up at me. "Of course, Matt. Where was that from?"

I combed my hand through his hair and kissed his temple. "I just don't think I tell you enough times. I always make wise cracks about how sexy and beautiful you are, but I never tell you how much I'm in love with you. I just need you to know that it's never just about sex. Even if all I could do is hold you close to me for the night, it's enough to make me the happiest man on earth. Even right now I don't care about sex. I just need your love, and I can feel more than happy enough to let you go again and hope that you'll return. You've been my best friend since we were kids, and sharing something so intimate with you is the greatest honour I could have."

I kissed him more passionately this time before breaking off and repeating, "I love you."

I couldn't quite see in the dim light, but I knew there was a tear in his eye. I wasn't a romantic person, that much was obvious, but I could show my love to the best of my ability. Even if it wasn't much, I needed him to know how much I cared for him… how much I needed him… and how much I truly loved him.

He kissed me back with just as much passion. "I love you to, Matt. Forever and always."

And the night continued once more.

There's a huge difference between sex and making love. It may sound like it's the same but it isn't. Sex was meaningless, a stress relief, and there for the young generations. Mello and I had had sex before, but we'd also made love.

Love was intimate, close, and filled with a fiery passion. That fire never died between Mello and I. We'd kept it strong even when in the darkest of times, and we never lost sight about what we'd fell for in each other. Yes, I was lazy, unmotivated, and an ass most times, especially when I cracked a joke at the wrong time. But I was there for Mello when he needed me. When he cried I let him cuddle into me for support, and I did everything in my power to make sure his smile never died. It'd been that way since we were kids, and I prayed to whatever force that watched over us that it would remain that way until the day we died.

I woke up the next morning cuddled next to my blonde, a haze of ecstasy washing over me. Even after twenty or so more years, he was still able to make me smile just by existing. He barely had to do a thing to grab my attention, and I was still willing to jump at his very command. I was happy to have this with him. This closeness… this bond. It was the best part about our relationship. We were best friends… partners… lovers… and so much more.

And I wouldn't trade what I had for anything.


	29. Chapter 29

_**A/N: I wrote this chapter because I was bored and I haven't written a chapter for Andrei yet, I believe.  
><strong>_

_**So enjoy, review if you can, adopt a cat, make oatmeal, and don't forget to never look a mantis in the eye. They will seduce you, then kill you. Heed my warning!**_

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><p><strong>(Andrei P.O.V)<strong>

"So let me get this straight," I spoke up, "I'm going to school, for one or two days, to see if it's good enough for you two?"

Dad sighed heavily. "Once again, you're not doing it for us, it's for your brothers and sisters. We just want to make sure you all get a good education in a tolerant and safe school."

"Exactly," Da said as he parked the car. He then looked over to me. "And the reason we chose you is because you both tell the truth, and don't care about what people think about you."

I took a pause before nodding slightly. "This is true. So what's the plan?"

Dad then looked back at me. "Be a good student, and report to us what you know after a few days." He grumbled then. "Or hours depending on the circumstances."

I scoffed at this. "It's public school. How bad can it be? I'm smarter than half those derp-turds put together."

Dad merely sighed once more. "We're picking you up at three. For the moment, I'll need to visit the office and get all the information from them. Do you know where your first class is?"

"Yup. Room zero-three-one. I'll find it." I exited the car then and made my way to my class. My dad would wait another ten minutes until he went to the office. I guess he didn't want to embarrass me, but I didn't care. My dad wasn't embarrassing to me, and I'd love him even if he was.

I don't know, I think kids just made too big a deal out of what their parents did. I mean, what was wrong with my dad? He loved me and looked after me, so why should I be embarrassed? Maybe I wouldn't understand for a while yet.

Looking around, it didn't look like a bad place to be. I mean, I'd never been in a school before, but this place couldn't be all that bad. It had a playground, many rooms, a nice clean look to it.

If only I knew better.

I found my classroom no problem in the maze of the school. No one really noticed me other than the teacher.

She introduced herself right away when she saw me walk in. "Hello. My name is Ms. Gabriel. You must be Andrei, correct?"

I grinned at her. "Yup. Here for my first day!" I tried to sound excited. In reality though, I was dying to be free of this place. I missed my laptop and sketchpad.

She gestured for me to stand by her desk and soon the bell rang…

And the nightmare began.

"Class, meet our new student Andrei. He's been homeschooled for a while so I expect you to give him some time to get used to the idea of a school." She then turned to me. "Now, Andrei, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?"

Was she serious? Dude, I was thirteen and she was treating me like I was five. Maybe I should just feign hurt when I get home so no one else in my family could go through this kind of torture.

But, for the moment…

"Well, I've been homeschooled since I was five, I have two older brothers and two older sisters, and one little brother."

"A big family!" She commented with what looked like a fake smile.

Uh… duh? Yes it was a big family, but hell my parents could handle it. Neither one had left us so far. I'd say that was accomplishment.

I sighed in my mind. "Yup! And I'm the second youngest!"

"Your poor mother! I'm sure she's handling you all just fine though!"

That's when the comments from the other kids started. I heard 'whore' and 'slut' the most.

But, news flash, I didn't have a mom.

And I made sure they were all aware.

"Actually, to be more precise, I'm the youngest of a clan of triplets, and a pair of twins. My youngest brother was adopted."

"Oh…" the teacher seemed to be off guard. "I… apologise. I suppose we should never assume…"

Alright, I've had enough of this…

"Yup, because it makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'."

The class held in their laughter as best as they could but more than a few snickers and giggles got through.

The teacher corrected me. "Young man, I won't tolerate any foul language in my classroom."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, teacher."

She took a breath. "So then, what do your parents do for a living?"

"Parents? Why do you care?"

The class started snickering again, but calmed down when the teacher's eyes narrowed.

"Well, with such a large family, your parents must have jobs. I'm just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat." I retorted, bringing out my cellphone to text my dad.

She sighed. "Satisfaction brought it back. Now then, what does your father do for a living?"

_'Hey dad, come get me. This lady is treating me like I'm a moron.' _ I texted him.

_'Lol! You have my permission to be snippy with her. On my way to get you right now. Didn't even start the engine. Da says don't go easy on her.'_

_'Will do. Luv ya, see ya soon.'_

I looked up at her. "I'm sorry, what did you ask?"

She was getting short with me now. "What does your father do for a living, young man?" She said through clenched teeth.

I blinked. "Which one?"

The question took her off guard. "What do you mean… do you have…?"

"Two dads? Hell yeah I do! Though, only one of them I call dad so let's go with him. He's an archaeologist… for the moment. But he's also a novelist, and a detective. My Da's a stay at home dad and sometimes helps with my dad's work. He's pretty good with computers, but he's useless at cleaning the estate."

"Estate? Detective? Archae…" she trailed off. "young man, if you're playing games with me…"

I heard the door open and knew right away it was my dad. Well, he'd get a good show at least.

I turned to him and grinned. "Yeah, that's my dad. Mihael Keehl from the Peerage of England. My grandpa's the Earl currently, but my dad helps him in his business. He also works to help L when he can, but it hasn't come up in a while. My Da also worked for L for a while, but he gave it up to be a stay at home dad. Also, I'm going home right now. I know it's my first day, but I hate to be treated like a five year old by a woman who can barely tie her own shoelaces." I looked down at her matted laces, before cringing. "Really, if you're going to treat me this way, at least have the decency to look the part.

"I should also note that your grammar is atrocious, your posture is a mess, and you breath is _ghastly_! It's called tic-tac, and it barely costs a pound. Please consider it. I'd also recommend you to a nice hairdresser, but on a teacher's salary, I doubt you could afford Jean Vie in France. Actually," I turned to my dad yet again, "doesn't he cut our hair?"

He nodded. "Since you were tots."

"Huh…" I thought before turning back to her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a private tutor waiting for me at home. I was interested in this school until I literally lost half my brain cells just speaking with you, and normally I'm not so rude to authority figures, but the fact remains madam that you dared to treat me like I was incapable of even common speech. Truly if you want this school to be in any better shape, you should start treating kids my age like adults. Yes, we're impulsive and do stupid things, but that doesn't make us stupid."

I turned to the class then, having stunned the teacher into silence. "As for the rest of you, I'm sorry I could not befriend, bully, or make enemies with any of you like in your ludicrous movies that my family watches to laugh at, but my kind was not meant to thrive in a public school among snotty brats such as yourselves."

I turned to leave with my dad, but before I left, I had one more thing to say.

"And to those of you who called my mother – technically my dad – a slut and, or, a whore -yes I'm looking at you in the back there ginger douche, and blonde cunt – take into account that you're only repeating what you think of yourselves. It's only human nature to do so, but just because you can't keep it down or out of that blow hole of yours, doesn't mean you need to bring my family into it. 'Kay?! We clear?! All good?! Fine and dandy?! Good!"

I kissed my fist before flipping off the entire class. "Later bitches!" and I was gone.

From the hallway it sounded like the entire class seemed to be in an uproar of impressed 'oohs' and clapping. I don't know how many of those brainless freaks could have done the same for themselves, but I was a snarky teen who learned from the best. My dad was the master of sass, and he taught me everything he knew. Albeit unknowingly, but he taught me well.

He patted my shoulder the moment we were outside of the school. "Ten minutes, Andrei! You couldn't last one hour!"

"Are you mad?" I asked genuinely.

He chuckled. "Not in the slightest. You want ice cream? We'll pick up for your siblings to. I know a few of them wanted to go to school, but I'd rather wait for high school years than middle school. It's relatively easier than dealing with moronic teachers like Ms. McCunt in there."

"You shouldn't swear in front of your kid you know." I joked as I opened the car door.

"And you shouldn't swear in front of your father."

"Touché."

The moment we sat down, Da giggled. "So how was your first day, son?"

"Terrible! I got my lunch money taken away, and someone called my mom a whore, and then dad came in and totally embarrassed me!"

He gave a feigned sympathetic look. "Aw, I'm sorry." He turned to dad. "Why would you do that to our boy?"

Dad sighed jokingly. "I don't know. I just lose my temper so easily nowadays."

"Well, we're going to have to call up your teacher and apologise."

I scoffed. "Okay, joke time's over."

The two laughed at me before we drove off to go grab ice cream. I admit I should have tried harder to be a better kind of 'normal' kid, but god dammit did I hate to be treated like that! I was not inept, and I will not be treated like moron!

I smiled to myself over the mornings events. I really was like my dad. Snarky, sassy, and demanded respect. Yet again, nothing I was embarrassed about. I still loved my dad immensely, and I was happy to see he was on my side with this. We both knew I was smarter than what that school had to offer, and maybe it was wrong to keep me and my sibs away from the social places, but it just wasn't worth it if we were going to be treated like imbeciles.

Roxanne, I knew, would be upset about not going to school, but when she heard about what I'd gone through in just ten minutes of being there… I'm too sure she'd forgive me.


	30. Chapter 30

_**A/N: I'm so sorry for being away for so long! I had final portfolios for art school last week, and I've been in the hospital for two days because of a bad fever, and I'm still kinda battling this flu, but at least I got a chapter done!  
><strong>_

_**Sorry if it sucks though.**_

_**Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all in a few days!**_

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><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

"Mello please!" Came the ditsy blonde's reply.

"No! A thousand times NO!"

She stomped her foot, which I thought was just childish since she was old enough to be a mother herself. But to hell if she didn't get what she wanted.

I had no clue my dad was friends with Misa Amane, nor that she'd want me for a young model. But dad was completely against it. He didn't want me to do anything that involved modeling and he made sure of that.

"My daughter is not a doll to dress up in your disgusting clothes line!" He yelled.

"They aren't disgusting!" She screeched back. "Nothing is wrong with the female form!"

"It is when you plan to dress a fifteen year old in clothes that would make a stripper blush!"

Uncle Light, who had brought Misa here along with L, sighed heavily. "I told you he'd be against it. Even more than modeling himself."

"But she's such a beautiful young lady…!" She tried to start up.

"NO!" He demanded. "My daughter will not be your model!"

"You're so mean!" The foot stomped again.

Dad rolled his eyes. "I don't care. I would sooner die than allow my daughters on a catwalk!"

"And your boys?" She brought up.

"Andrei maybe, but that's only because he's becoming sassier than me and would demand it."

Misa scrunched her nose. "Andrei? He's too ordinary. I need someone with a god like body and an eye catching face."

She turned to me and pinched my cheeks happily. "Melina has it all! The sparkle in her eyes, the pure skin, the blonde hair that's soft to the touch, and has the smile of a goddess!"

I rolled my eyes at her before pushing her hands away. "I don't exactly intend on becoming a model, Misa. It's just not for me. Maybe you should ask Andrei."

"Ask Andrei what?" Came the reply from the small red head. He'd just entered the room and hadn't heard much of the conversation.

Before Misa could brush off the topic, dad smiled at him. "My dear friend, Miss Amane, is looking for young models for her new fashion line, and we were thinking you'd might want to be a part of it."

Andrei's eyes lit up at this. "Really!? You'd let me, dad!"

Dad pulled the small boy into a side-hug. "Of course! If you wanted to, that is."

I couldn't help the smirk. My dad had never liked the idea of us modeling, being that he'd had to model once or twice for our grandmother, but watching Amane squirm because she didn't want Andrei was too much to pass up.

I can admit, I was not bad looking. I was reaching into my sixteenth year soon and I was more than filled out at this point. I had a great bust size, nice hips, soft and unmarked skin, and I knew how to walk the walk. I learned from watching my father while I was growing up. Dad walked with confidence and sass, and he made sure that none of his kids ever clumped around like our Da. He was a proud human being, and I respected him for that. I modeled myself after him, including my sassy and confident nature. All the while, I learned how to be lax when I had to be from my Da. But rarely did I ever show that side.

Andrei was… well… not like me.

He didn't care about getting dirty or marked, and he constantly made a habit about making a mess. Not to mention he more closely resembled our Da instead of Dad. He was a dark red head – almost brunette – with a pale complexion, and had a small amount of freckles about his face. He was lanky, clumsy, and all around nerdy. But he was still as confident and sassy as Dad himself. All of us, my brothers, myself, and Roxy, all learned from him that we were to be proud of who we were and everything we became. He was a role model of sorts.

But of course, so was our Da.

Whereas Dad taught us to be confident about ourselves, Da taught us to find the joy in life. To find the silver lining in the clouds. He made it no secret to us that he'd come from nothing and was more than lucky to be where he was right now. I was always amazed at his stories. About how he would go out onto the streets just to find food, and sometimes never ate. But all the while he still found the bright side of everything. He helped us to believe that no matter how bad things got, the world always had an up for every down, a light for every dark, and the sweets to every sours. Our Da was such a happy guy, even when Dad was nagging him to get chores done. He was a good man, and I could only dream that he wouldn't be the only one on earth.

We still didn't know what brought our dads together, but I always found it sweet that even after years of knowing each other, they still had so much affection to show. There were times I'd catch Da hugging Dad lovingly while the blonde cooked, or sneaking in a kiss every now and then. Yes, there were times where they fought, but those fights never lasted long, and most of them were just for sport caused by Da to make Dad frustrated. The red headed adult would giggle every time his partner would try to smack him for joking around.

And, honestly, it was adorable to watch.

Misa grinned nervously. "M-Mello, I already told you, I need a _female_ model. Andrei wouldn't wear girly clothes…"

"Sure I would!" The red head exclaimed. "I always thought I'd look good in a dress."

The room fell silent aside from Dad's little snickers.

"Well," the blonde man spoke up, "I guess that settles it. Amane?"

The woman was in a predicament. We all knew – aside from Andrei – that she didn't want him in her show. So it was just a matter of having to either allow him in the show because of pity, or tell him the truth.

Either way, our dads would support him.

She looked down at the stringy little teen and sighed. "Andrei, there's no doubt that you're a cutie, but my show calls for a more… model-like appearance. Something more beautiful."

Was she actually saying this!? How rude could she actually be!?

I could just see the glimmer in Andrei's eyes die away. "What do you mean? Dad says we're all beautiful."

"And you are!" Misa said happily. "But models are a different kind of beauty. They're eye catching and easy to look at. No one's interested in a normal look like you, and I don't want you to get your feelings hurt."

Too late.

Did this ditsy blonde not see the damage she just caused!? Andrei looked absolutely broken to pieces over what she'd just said! The poor kid looked as if he were on the brink of tears!

Dad had had enough. "Light, please escort Misa off of my property and make sure she never comes back here."

His voice was venomous, but his gesture was relaxed as he held the red head close to him.

The brunette did as asked, and the blonde fought the entire time he and L dragged her out. By the look on their faces they were just as utterly disgusted by Misa's remarks as we were.

The moment she was out the door, Dad turned to Andrei who had let a few tears fall.

"Son, don't you dare take what she says to heart. Misa has lived a life around nothing but what people thought about her. She could never understand what it means to be special like you."

"But-" he tried to counter.

"No, no 'buts' about it. You're a good kid with a bright future, not to mention you're a gorgeous human being with a kind heart. What matters on the outside means nothing. Not so long as you believe you're a good person. And does it really matter what she thinks of you? Is my opinion or your father's nothing to you?"

"Of course not!" The small teen replied, appalled at Dad for assuming he though so little about them. "You guys are the world to me!"

"Then, believe me when I say, that you are perfect model material and more than worthy to walk a runway if need be it. Yes, you're lanky and clumsy sometimes, but you'll grow out of that stage just like you Da." He smirked a bit. "And try to remember that your Da ended up with me."

Andrei snickered slightly before hugging Dad happily. "No offense, but I'd like someone a little less overbearing."

"Overbearing?! You want to repeat that, boy?!" The blonde man warned.

Andrei took a moment to think. "Did I say overbearing? I meant god-like and beautiful!"

"Mmhm… sure you did." He agreed before patting his back. "Now go find your Da. I need to speak with him about something."

The small red head nodded before he ran off then to fetch the man specified.

There was a moment of silence before Dad turned to me. "Am I _really_ overbearing?"

I blinked. "Do you want the truth or do you just want to hear what you _want_ to hear?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Now, what do you think?"

I smiled happily. "Dad, you are perfect the way you are!"

He kissed my head at this. "That's my girl."


	31. Chapter 31

_**A/N: Holy crap! Well, I just got over a major flu that has been keeping me away from most of my writings. But I'm back now!  
><strong>_

_**So, this chapter hits kind of close to home and you'll see why after you read.**_

_**Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all later!**_

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><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

Today had been… well… eventful.

Lucas had just received his black belt in martial arts, Melina had tried out for a dance group and had been accepted, and Andrei, Mason, Roxanne and Ink had started music together. Albeit it's because Mello got fed up with them playing video games all day and took away every console and connection they had to gaming, but they were at least good at what they played. Mason was working on the guitar, Andrei on flute, Roxanne on violin, and Ink with the piano. They weren't looking to becoming a band or anything, but, individually, they sounded amazing.

Top all this off with Mello having to go to the doctors thanks to a stomach ache and wasn't around to enjoy the hectic household. But, I'm too sure he'd get an earful when he got home.

Our kids were becoming quite the show in themselves.

Lucas and Melina were now sixteen years of age and had filled out as nicely as their dad had at their age. Lucas was fit, hardworking, and was quite the lady's man. Although Lara was still his one and only, so he liked to put it, there were many instances where the roaming eyes of women would rest on him. He never noticed them however since he never went looking for any other girls on the side. He stayed true to Lara, and it more than bugged the trashy women who wanted him. That was fine with us, however, since Mello and I taught our children to respect the one you're with. Cheating and lying was never an option, and Lucas knew this as much as any of the others. He cared for Lara and respected her, so he dared not do something as unthinkable as cheating on her.

Melina was much the same. She got many stares from boys but didn't always pay attention to them. She knew about them, but she hadn't cared about them. She was quite lax about what she wore, which greatly annoyed me because of how much skin she showed off, but she wasn't sleeping around so there wasn't much to worry about. She even made it very clear with us that she hadn't given herself to anyone yet.

That was the thing about our children; they trusted us greatly with anything. They never felt a need to lie to us unless it was truly harmless.

Our fourteen-year-olds, Mason, Andrei, and Roxanne, were quite similar in the ways that they looked. Red-ish-brown-ish hair with soft pale skin… but each had much different personalities to them. For instance, Mason was quite relaxed most of the time and never seemed to be bothered by anything. Andrei was quite… effeminate, but it didn't bother us. Andrei was just a sweet boy with a smile that reached his eyes. And as for Roxanne, she was quite the looker herself, but in her own way. She didn't rely on makeup and tight clothing with skin showing off in more places than should be. No, she had a natural beauty to her and she knew it. She didn't care about her pixie-haircut or her clunky combat boots and piercings. This was who she was, deal with it or get out!

As for Ink, our adopted son of thirteen, was quite effeminate looking himself, but he was beautiful that way. He wasn't lanky, he was thin. He wasn't weak, but not overly strong. Plus the fact that he had the voice of an angel when he spoke. He, as well, was also eye candy to the females, but he had eyes for another as well.

It was no secret to us about Mason and Ink, but we didn't tell them just yet that we knew about their little affair. It was kind of adorable, the way the two snuck off together to enjoy the garden on their own little dates – thinking they were being secretive – and we made sure that nothing happened aside from these 'dates'. They may have been smart kids, but they were still young for things involving love and lust. If we suspected anything was going on we would've told them by now that we knew about them. But, for the moment, they looked to be doing alright.

I laid back on the couch listening to Mason work on a few cords. Ink was right beside him working on a drawing of his, while Lucas sat back in the armchair nibbling on a chocolate bar. The other teenagers were either in their rooms are somewhere else in the Manor doing their own thing.

I was beginning to get worried about Mello right now. He'd gone to the doctor's office four or five hours ago and hadn't called me yet. I was starting to think these stomach problems of his were appendicitis or something and he was getting tests done.

Right as I was about to pick up my phone, I heard the front door open and close, and before I knew it the blonde himself had joined us in the living room. I could see in his eyes how scared he was at the moment.

This wasn't good.

I sat up. "So… what's up? Did the doctor say anything to you? Is it serious?"

I heard the guitar stop and I could just feel the eyes all look at Mello.

The blonde looked at the teenagers. "Erm… could you three give us some privacy? I need to speak with your father alone for a bit."

Silence rung out across the room as the three slowly made their way out of the room. The only one to look back in worry was Lucas. I could understand why, too.

Lucas had a deep love for all of his family members. To hear one might be in trouble… I could only guess how much it unnerved him.

Once we were alone Mello sat on the couch beside me, shaking a bit from the fear. "Matt, please try not to panic… but they found something."

"What? What do you mean…?"

He took a breath. "I… it's a tumor."

I felt my heart drop and my mouth go dry. I couldn't believe the words I'd just heard.

"What… how… how did this… what do you mean… Mel!"

He shivered again and I could see him trying to fight back a tear. "They told me it wasn't cancerous, but it needs to come out right away. I'm just… I'm kind of worried about the operation."

"Is it already set?" I asked, to which he nodded, and I gave a sigh of relief. "Mello, as long as it's coming out and fast…"

"But afterwards they're going to put me on medication that might prohibit me from a lot of things. Not to mention I might have to do chemo-therapy to make sure this tumor stays away. So, collecting all this, it means I'll be sick and probably bed-ridden for a while. Not to mention the other side effects…"

"Mel… at least when it's over…"

"I have a choice not to take the chemo-therapy though. But the doctor said it might not be a wise decision. I don't care, I don't want to be bed-ridden and asking my family to take care of me. I won't lie down and let myself become contempt to live like a weakling."

His words were so matter-of-fact that it scared me.

"But Mels, if you don't take the therapy then you risk becoming infected with future tumors! Please reconsider…"

"No," he forced out. "I'm not going to sit on my ass and watch as my family waits on me and pities me like I'm weak. I won't have it!"

A door slammed open and before we knew it Lucas had come out from the hall to the kitchen and had kneeled down in front of Mello.

I could see him fighting back tears as he spoke. "If you don't take the chemo then of course we'll pity you!"

"Lucas…" Mello tried to warn, but he didn't listen.

"Shut up. Please, just take the therapy. I'd rather see you alive and getting better than to see you waiting around for death. You think it's weak to watch your family from a bed, but it's not! At least you'd be alive! At least you'd live!" The tears were starting to fall now as he rested his head on Mello's lap. "Please, for me, for Roxy and Mina, and everyone… don't be so stupid and take the chemo! I don't want to lose you!"

The boy started shaking now. "I can't lose you."

It had been a long time since I'd seen Lucas cry, and anytime it happened my heart cracked a little. He was truly broken by the fact that his dad had to go through something like this… but he was still trying to be supportive.

I let go of a breath I was holding and looked at my feet. I had no doubt in my mind that Mello would be alright from his operation, and chem therapy would weaken him, yes, but it wouldn't put him down for the count. But Lucas had not known about all the things the man had gone through in his life and had always naively believed no one and nothing could affect his father or his health. But, here he was in one of the weaker moments, and now Lucas knew the truth. No one is invincible…

…but they could be strong.

Mello put a hand on Lucas' head and the boy swallowed some of his tears behind, taking a shaky breath. "I'm scared, Dad. I'm scared that I'll lose you, that you won't make it out of the operation, that something will go wrong, I won't lie about any of that. But I know you'll be okay. Because you're my dad. You're strong and resilient, and you've never given me a reason to worry about anything before in my life. It's not weakness to show you're scared, but it's weakness to do something dumb and regret it later. You taught me that when I was little and I'm repeating it to you. You can be scared, dad… but being this stupid is weak. If you have a chance to get better and never having to worry about it again, then go for it. No one will think any less of you."

I saw the tears on Mello's face before he pulled his son into his arms to hug him tight. The poor boy and doing his best to hold back his tears.

The blonde man nodded. "Alright then. I guess my choice has been made. I'll go through with the chemo therapy." He then paused for a short second. "But only if you do me one favour, Lucas."

"Anything." Came the shaky reply.

Mello pulled him away and made the boy look him in the eye. "When I'm in bed and can't complete any work, you take over for me. You're the oldest, and you've never given me a reason not to trust you with my work."

The boy nodded before initiating another hug. "I'll do my best."

The man held his son close. "I know you will."

I grinned slightly at the two. I knew Mello was just as scared as Lucas about things going wrong, but he did his best not to show it. The blonde was always prideful about how he presented himself, and whenever the wall of strength seemed to crumble, that's when he didn't know what to do. But, with a strong kid like Lucas looking after him, and five more kids who will be there to help him along, I knew he'd be fine. He had a lot of people looking after him nowadays, and he knew this as well as any of us. It was definitely a change than when he spent his first years at Wammy's.

A change for the better.

Was I scared of his predicament? Of course I was. But it was like Lucas had said, we were allowed to be afraid right now. In the end, however, there would be something to celebrate. Good health, good fortune, loving family members, and a bright future for our blonde chocoholic.

…but that didn't change our fears for the moment. And it wouldn't until all this was over and done with.

And, for the first time that night – in many other nights – I prayed to god that Mello would be alright.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So, if any of you are wondering, yes someone in my family did have to go through cancer and chemo-therapy... well, three members actually, and I was just thinking about them recently.**_

_**It's currently been one year since my grandfather died from lung cancer, two years since my mother recovered from her operation and chem-therapy, and nine years since I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. I don't know why, but it suddenly hit me like a brick about how many people I lost to this and I decided to write a few chapters about it.**_

_**It's rough seeing the people you love have to suffer. To see them scared about death or never seeing their family again. But that's when you need to be the strongest. I'm the youngest in my family, but I'm not the weakest. My cousins and friends constantly ask me how I deal with losing so much and still being able to smile. Well, the truth is, it's because of all the good I have around me. Good friends, good family, and even all of you who support me on Fanfiction! I sometimes don't remember to tell you all this, but thank you for being so supportive! It means more than you think. :)**_

_**Okay, now I have to end this because now I'm just making this sad. But, just so we're all clear, Mello has nothing to be afraid of! I'm not going to kill off my favourite character so easily! (The manga/anime kinda screwed the pooch on that one for me anyhow)**_

_**Well, see you all later!**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**A/N: One chapter for tonight! Gonna try and sleep since I've been staying up until four in the morning nowadays, and it's kind of getting ridiculous now.**_

_**Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all later!**_

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><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

Everyone was in a bit of shock after learning about Mello's tumor, but none more than Lucas. He hadn't slept much since he learned about his father having this tumor and had continuously texted me his thoughts and fears around the matter. I of course stayed by him as much as I could to help him around the subject. It was scary to learn that someone was sick like this, but it was scarier when it was someone you loved and cared for. Even after the man's operation Lucas was still worried sick about his dad. Especially with Chemo-therapy starting already.

I was told that the chemo would only be for three months, but even then it seemed like a lot of time. With the injections being twice a month, we could only assume that the effects would be immediate.

And they were.

Two months of chemo had already passed and Lucas had told me his dad hadn't been out of bed in three days since the last injection. He only ate a tiny bit and barely drank anything. He hadn't lost much of his hair, which was a god sent considering the other side effects, but he was shivering and sweating both at once, and even threw up once or twice. Matt had to monitor his fever and make sure it didn't reach anything critical, but more than once had it gotten uncontrollable resulting in Mello being taken to the hospital for treatment. The poor man hung on though, and he tried his best to laugh at the situation. We all knew the potential danger in all of this, however.

Lucas was taking this pretty hard, but he wasn't the only one. Melina, Andrei, Mason, Roxy, and Ink were all scared for their dad. I remember seeing Melina crying in the hospital waiting room after her dad's fever got out of control. I'd been staying at the manor for Lucas at the time and we'd all been scared out of our wits when the blonde man had lost consciousness and didn't respond. This whole ordeal put us all on our toes for the rest of the months to come.

With two months already passed, there was just one more to go. And two more injections for the man to take.

It would be over soon.

I asked my father if it would be alright that we stayed at the manor to help Matt and Lucas take care of everything and he was more than alright with that. My mother would continue working at Wammy's house while we stayed at the manor for our family. She didn't want to crowd up the place and decided it would be best that the closest members stay by Mello's side. Not that she wasn't close, but my dad had known the family a lot longer than her, and I needed to be by Lucas' side.

I stayed as close as I could to Lucas, making sure he was alright every now and then. I knew how scared he was and I worried he'd do something stupid if I wasn't there to help him through it all.

I lay on his lap while we sat on the couch in the living room. "You alright? Talk to me."

He smiled tiredly. "I'm alright. I'm just kind of used to there being more noise in the manor. If it isn't Dad and Da sniping at each other, its Dad giving us lectures about something or another. I never realized how much noise there was until there was none to be heard. Even Melina's being silent, and usually that's a gift from god himself. But right now… I miss it."

I let out a silent breath before snuggling into him. "It'll be okay, Lucas. The first four injections are over and done with. He'll start feeling better after the last month and things will go back to normal. With how much sleep he's getting I'd say he's raring to go with lectures about you crying over nothing."

He chuckled half-heartedly, wiping away a stray tear. "Yeah, I know. It's just been difficult. The last time I saw him up and about he was joking to my Da about something, and then…" he paused, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Then he was in bed. And now we're all taking care of him. He even had to miss Ink's birthday because he wasn't able to get out of bed."

I hummed slightly, taking notice that Lucas hadn't even called Ink by his, rather rude, nickname FedEx. "Well then, we'll have to celebrate it again once he's out of bed. Lord knows the man's going to want to get some fresh air after being in his room for so long."

Before Lucas could say anything else, Matt interrupted us with a hand on his shoulder.

"Lucas, please go see your dad for a minute. He wants to speak with you about something."

"Is he alright?" The teen asked worriedly.

I felt my heart break a bit.

Lucas had been up for days on end yet he still jumped at the drop of a hat for his dad. It made me believe that even if this young man was keeled over from exhaustion, his body giving in to sleep and weakness, and his father _still_ needed him… he'd be right there to help.

Lucas was such a good man some days I wondered why he wanted anything to do with me. God knows I wasn't good enough for him.

Matt just smiled. "He's fine. He just wants to speak with you."

I moved away from the teen so he could get up. "You'd better get going, Lucas. Your dad doesn't stay awake for very long as it is."

He chuckled again and made for the stairs. However tired he was, he always hurried to help those he loved.

I heard my dad enter the room and a long sigh escape from his lips. "Just one more month, Matt. We should count our blessings. Most people are in chemo-therapy for a year at the very least. Had Mello been infected with cancer…"

"But he wasn't." Matt reminded him angrily. "Try to remember that, Near."

I agreed with the red head. "It was just a tumor, and we caught it before it could spread into something cancerous."

My father hummed at this. "But you saw the doctor's reports. Although it was benign, it had the potential to be cancerous. Not to mention that thing was taking up a quarter of his intestines, and he was complaining about stomach pains long before he went to a doctor. Yes, we should count our blessings, but it still amazes me that he didn't contract any cancer."

I lay back down on the couch with a heavy sigh. "I know you're just as worried for Uncle Mello as the rest of us, so try not to hide it behind this mask of amazement, dad."

"Of course I'm worried, Lara." He admitted. "But we have nothing to fear with this anymore. Mello will be fine, and just as well he's not exactly down for the count. The man's still talking and he's more than desperate to be out of his room at the moment. Thankfully this will all be over soon."

"I couldn't agree more." Matt replied.

I nodded once. For Lucas' sake, and his brothers and sisters, it was good that this would be over with by next month. They all needed this to end… or at least have something to keep their minds occupied from the stress at least.

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

I entered my father's room and nearly ran to his side. He didn't always ask me for stuff in the months he was in therapy, but whenever my Da was resting or Winston was helping around the house, it was my job to see that he was alright. I didn't mind helping him out in the slightest, but he didn't ask me too often because he knew how much I didn't want to see him so sick. But I was fine with this. As long as the man was breathing and talking, I was alright.

God had blessed him I suppose because the man hadn't lost much of his hair in the past two months, but it was getting a bit patchy and ragged. We had all debated about shaving away his hair but he threatened to never speak with us again if we did so. A good incentive I'd say.

I kneeled beside him and smiled happily. He was covered by three puffy blankets, and I could tell he was curled up into a ball. He was cold again, but that would change in an hour thanks to the chemicals pumped into his body.

His eyes opened slightly and I could see the small smile on his face. His lips were chapped from the lack of liquids in his system and he'd already complained about the rawness in his throat before so I knew I'd have to listen carefully thanks to the raspy voice. All in all, though, he wasn't doing half bad for a man being pumped with deadly chemicals.

He hummed harshly before holding out an arm to hug me. I, of course, hugged him right away and somewhat prayed that this hug wouldn't end. I hadn't seen my dad in three days and I was beginning to miss him terribly. We all were, me and my siblings, but he didn't want them to see him like this. It was usually just myself, Da, and Near who saw him in this state. As for his other kids, they only saw him when he called for them. And those days were on the days he wasn't lying in bed sick to his stomach.

After the hug ended I backed away and he spoke to me.

"Lucas, I need you to do something for me." His raspy voice rung out.

"Anything." I replied, listening intently.

His smile widened. "I asked your father to put you and your siblings into high school for the next few years, and I need you to look after your younger siblings while you're there."

Now, I wasn't about to have an argument with my father, especially when he was lying in bed close to death, but I was going to ask about this calmly.

"Alright, but why are you putting us in school? Didn't Andrei totally botch this for us by mocking the teachers?"

He chuckled at this and I couldn't help but smile back. "He did, and we let him. But with everything that's going on right now… with me being sick… I don't want the thought of my sickness keeping you all worried. You all need a change of pace while I'm recovering, and you need to have a place to forget about everything that's going on here. As much as I'm not a fan of schools, I know it's just wrong to keep you all in this manor worrying about my health."

I was about to counter his argument, saying that we weren't worried, even if it was a lie, he placed a hand on my cheek and placed a kiss on my forehead. I guess he knew this was what was best for us.

His smile still hadn't faded. "Your brothers and sisters aren't going to want to leave, so I need you to be my voice and tell them it's what I want. No child of a parent should be staying at home in worry when they should be out and enjoying their lives. It doesn't mean you'll be deserting me, it means I'm letting you go. Please try to understand that, and help them to understand that. You're just kids… you're _my_ kids. And I want you to stop worrying about me and have fun for a while. I won't hold it against you, I promise. Please trust me."

I nodded, bringing up my hand to hold his. My dad wasn't always a wise man… well, he was wiser than my Da, but he wasn't always wise. But when he was, he always made sense. And I usually didn't argue with him about much.

I placed my head beside him in a sort of mental hug, knowing he was too weak for a real one for the moment. "Okay. I'll help them see what you mean. But not all of them will want to listen you know. Andrei hates school more than any one of us."

He kissed my head again before relaxing on his pillow again. "Then tell him it's an order from me that he attend class."

I laughed slightly at this. "He still might not go, but I can always drag him to school. He's not that heavy you know."

We shared a laugh and I suddenly felt a pang of longing.

My dad wasn't better quite yet and he still had two more treatments to attend. I was really beginning to miss his laughs and smiles. Hell I was even missing him yelling at me for taking his chocolate bars. It was just too… silent in the manor. I didn't like the silence…

…it reminded me too much of death.


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N: Man, it's been a while since I posted on this story! Well, I'm back! **_

_**Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**_

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><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

"You realize that if it wasn't for dad I wouldn't be here, right! I hate school!" Andrei reminded us.

Lucas only groaned. "Yeah, well suck it up. Dad wants us to stop worrying about him so much and he thinks school will probably be best for us. I trust that he knows what he's doing."

I said nothing about the matter. Lucas was always in contact with our dad nowadays, and if he said that dad wanted us to be in school, and thought it was good for us, well then… I believed him.

My dad was a smart man, and Lucas was just as smart. I trusted both of them to know what was right for us. Lucas may be annoying most days, but I trusted him with my life. He'd really come to grips with himself over the years and he was far less anger driven than I was. He was calmer and thought things through while I just jumped in head first if the opportunity needed be. I was a lot like my Da that way, but I still thought a lot like my Dad. I was calculating, but impatient, cold, but driven. If anyone slowed down my thinking process, or just me in general, I could lose my temper. Lucas, however, was just calculating and precise. But if worse came to worst, he'd do exactly as I did and jumped in without thought. It was no doubt we were twins.

The limousine stopped and we looked out the window to see the high school we would be attending for the school year. Since we were starting off the year at around October we'd be considered the new kids, so this was going to be a bit tough for us.

It didn't help the fact that we'd arrived in a limousine either.

People were staring even before we exited the vehicle. This only made me slightly nervous though. The others… well… it was a range of emotions.

Lucas was uninterested, Roxy was excited, Andrei was just upset, and Mason wasn't even paying attention as he was playing his game through his phone. Ink didn't have to be here since he had put up a fight about learning from L and Light. They had been his tutors since spring and he didn't want to quit for a public school. So, lucky him, he got to stay home while the rest of us suffered. Still, none of this could stop us from going… so we had to suck it up.

Lucas groaned slightly. "Well, let's get this over with. First stop is the office to get our schedules."

Winston opened the door for us and we made our exit.

The stares only intensified for us.

I had to say though… high school boys were not that bad looking.

I saw a few of them in nice clothes with nicer hair and faces, and they were looking right back at me. Some of the girls were a little annoyed with me, especially the one's hanging off of the staring boys arms. But this didn't faze me… I liked getting some attention.

More than a few females looked to my brother Lucas and even Mason, but they were uninterested. Mason had Ink and Lucas was with Lara so they didn't even pay attention to the stares. Roxy didn't bother to look either since she was focused on actually going through school. And Andrei was closed in and looking around worriedly. No doubt because they he was the smallest of us so he felt more vulnerable. He didn't have to feel like that though…

…the bullies had to get through me to get him.

Lucas guided us to the office and we all got our schedules for the day. Lucas and I shared two classes but none with the younger siblings. We were sixteen now and in grade eleven, while the others were in grade ten. Mason, Roxy, and Andrei shared one or two classes together, but their extra courses were all different.

We went our separate ways… and the day began.

* * *

><p><strong>(Mason P.O.V)<strong>

I didn't really pay attention in science, though I didn't really have to. What we were doing was child's play compared to what our father's hired a Wammy's tutor to teach us. Hell we were able to make gunpowder since we were seven. I think I could test the P.H balance in a fucking apple. Damn teachers treating me like a moron.

During science, and the experiment with the acidic testing of an apple, I got bored and decided to curb my boredom with my own little experiment: Changing the apple slice into a different colour.

With some zinc and carbon dioxide, mixed with some detergent, I took an eye drop tool and dripped a few drops of the content onto the apple slice. The fruit turned blue in no time and was soon stained. However, I miscalculated how much the acid of the fruit would affect the mixture and before long I could hear a faint sizzling from the slice. And then…

I ducked before it would blast but it exploded across the room and made the class scream in fear. None of them had been aware of my little experiment so this definitely took them all by surprise. The teacher, especially, was not amused.

"Mason!" I heard her call as I crept up from under the desk. "What on earth are you doing!?"

I blinked. "Obviously not paying attention. I should have taken acidity into the thought, because the last time I did this the banana changed to blue and just stayed blue. But, I guess apples are way more acidic than banana's."

The teacher just stood there. Dumbfounded. "I… what… why did you… nevermind. Go outside the class and await for me to speak with you."

I simply sat on my seat and looked up at her. "Umm… this might sound like a dumb question, but am I in trouble?"

"No shit, Sherlock." Came the reply from the student beside me.

I turned to him. "Fuck you, Watson, no one cares about your opinion!"

A long 'ooh' echoed through the classroom and the kid instantly stood up from his seat to get into my face. "Somethin' you want to say to me?"

I merely blinked. This guy was not as scary as Melina. "Yeah, you're fly's open."

He looked down immediately and saw I was correct before quickly zipping up his fly while the class giggled at him.

This guy was not menacing. He was lanky and dressed improperly, with dark brown hair covering over one of his lifeless brown eyes. I won't even mention the uni-brow and ugly stubble.

The teacher pointed to the door. "Go outside, right now!"

"Is it recess?" I joked, making the class laugh.

"Now!" She screamed again.

"Can I take fly-guy with me?" I asked. "I need a buddy while I'm in the hall or I might get robbed. So I need someone to push into their way before they can beat me up. I am a fragile little thing, you know."

The class just couldn't stop the giggles and snickers. I had a habit of doing that, where things are supposed to be serious but I end up just mocking it.

The teacher, who I'd completely forgotten the name of, turned red with anger. "I'm going to count to three…"

"Then I'll count to four!" I interrupted, slamming my hands on my desk to make myself look serious, making some of the kids bust a gut laughing.

She took a breath. "Mason, if you don't leave right now…"

I decided to end this.

I pointed to the window. "LOOK! DISTRACTION!"

I couldn't believe she actually looked, but it gave me time to do a childish, mission impossible, roll over my table and fall to the floor as I made for to the door, the whole time singing the mission impossible theme. As soon as I opened the door, I ended the song with an outrageous bang then left for the office. Lord knows I was going to be sent there anyway.

The whole walk down I could hear people laughing from my classroom and I couldn't help the smile across my face. It was a defense mechanism for me to make people laugh. More times than not it got me out of trouble…

…which was the cherry on top of the dessert.

* * *

><p><strong>(Andrei P.O.V)<strong>

I was normally not a shy person, but being in a school where everyone was taller than you and stronger than you… of course I was nerved up.

Not to mention I stood out like a sore thumb.

My freckles had all but disappeared by now, so my face was clean and fresh with no blemishes, but my hair was red and stood out among a sea of normal haired people. Not to mention my goggles that were tinted blue. But I just had to remember that it was only for a few hours.

Hours of torture… but hours.

I sighed heavily as I walked through the halls, opening up my sketchbook to draw something. I had a spare for the moment so this meant I had an hour to do as I saw fit. I had to remove my goggles so that I might see better while drawing, but everything around me was being ignored. Especially the people around me. That normally was a bad thing…

…but not always.

I felt someone bump into me and my sketch got smudged. The voice behind me was angry.

"Hey, watch it pretty boy!"

I looked behind me and saw three older guys looking at me for a second with anger… but then the one who had spoken relaxed his eyes a bit. He looked… nervous. For just a split second there.

Looking him over, he wasn't anything too special. Blonde, brawny, and athletic looking, but he didn't have much of a face. It wasn't chiselled or tight jawed, and his eyes were a little too small for his face. But he was still slightly handsome in his own way. Maybe not like the other men I've seen… but in his own way.

His two friends looked at him before one nudged him and he finally snapped out of his little reverie. "Err… sorry. I didn't see you were drawing. I guess it's my fault."

I blinked before hugging my sketchbook to my chest. "Don't worry about it. I should have been watching where I was going."

I'd never heard my voice sound that small before. What was wrong with me? I usually talked down to a doofus like this.

He grinned slightly before scratching at his neck. "I… I guess we're both at fault here."

I shrugged and a moment of awkwardness passed between us before he spoke again.

"Wait, you're the new kid, right? The one with the other four?"

I nodded, unable to find my voice.

He chuckled slightly. "So you're on a spare then? I could give you a tour if you want. We could hang out for a bit afterwards too. Would you mind?"

I grinned a bit. "Sure. I'd like that."

His buddies looked stunned as he gestured to the hall before us and he walked with me the whole way. To some extent I'd wanted to tell him no… but he didn't seem like he was half bad.

Maybe high school wasn't as terrible as I first believed.

* * *

><p><strong>(Roxanne P.O.V)<strong>

I was enjoying high school to the fullest extent. I'd proven myself in all of my classes so far, including gym, and was about to go on spare with Melina. I'd only ever seen her once while we were switching classes and we both had the same spare slot so we decided to hang out for a bit and discuss what we'd learned or had to go through.

When I met her at her locker, it was no surprise what she'd been through.

She was revelling in the attention the boys were giving her. Most of them had girlfriends to begin with but they'd still come to her and ask her how she was doing in her classes. Some offered her lunch or a tour around the school, but she declined happily. But she still flipped and twirled her hair seductively to pull them back in. And, of course, it worked like a charm. They were all putty in her hands before she could even speak with them.

And it somewhat upset me.

I'd always been slightly jealous of my sister. She was tall, blonde, and beautiful, whereas I was medium, red headed, and awkward. She didn't wear any makeup since her skin was flawless, and she always captured attention with her bright green eyes. My own eyes were a deep green as well, but they clashed unhappily with the short red hair. Not to mention I was pale and marked up, and my face was awkwardly constructed. My eyes were too big, my nose was too small, and my smile was weird. All in all… I was just awkward. Melina had all the luck since she looked like our Dad, who – as L had told us – had once made even straight men look his way, whereas I looked like my Da. An awkward, slightly clumsy, doof. It may look cute when it's a male, but for females… it didn't work out for the best.

It just wasn't fair.

While we ate our lunch during our spare, Melina noticed how quiet I was and asked if I was alright.

Before I could answer, she was approached yet again by another boy.

This one… well, there are no words to describe how utterly gorgeous he was.

Blue eyes, dark chocolate hair, and a beautiful tight body covered by tight clothing and a football – soccer – jersey. He was lean, fit, and…

…eying Melina.

Of course.

Melina was instantly focussed on him.

"Hey, you're the new girl right?" He asked the blonde.

And, of course, he didn't notice me.

I decided to just leave the table. I couldn't put up with this for the fifteenth time today.

I put away my tray and made for the exit when I heard someone speak up from behind me.

"Some people just get all the luck, eh?"

I turned to see a boy around my height with black hair and bright blue eyes. He reminded me a bit like Ink but lankier and hunched over. He also wore a black hoodie over his head as well as a black hoodie and t-shirt. The only thing that wasn't black were his dark blue jeans, and his eyes.

I looked over to my sister, who barely noticed I was missing, and sighed. "You got that right."

He chuckled. "Well, it is a tough world to live in nowadays. Especially being a have-not."

I looked at him with curiosity in my eyes. "What do you mean by 'have-not'?"

"You know, like… outcasts, off-beats, weirdo's, generally the unpopular and forgotten."

I rolled my eyes at this. "My sister doesn't forget about me. Her and my family love me very much."

He gestured over to the boy talking with Melina. "And my brother Seth over there loves me, but that doesn't mean he doesn't forget about me from time to time."

I blinked in surprise. "He's your… brother?"

I pointed a thumb over to Melina, a cheeky smile on his face. "That's your sister?" He mocked me.

I crossed my arms. "Look, I don't know what you're trying to get at here, but my sister…"

"Chillax, cherry-head, I'm not saying she doesn't love you. I'm saying that she's on a different level than you while in school. She and my brother are haves, and you and I are have-nots. She's higher on the spectrum of popularity. I'm not saying it's a bad thing for you, but it's not like this helps you in high school. Thankfully, though, you aren't alone."

He gestured to the exit and I followed him out into the hall. From there he guided me to the theatre where I could hear talking from the class that was taking place. He led me in, and my place was sealed.

The teacher, who looked like an outcasted witch from the Harry Potter movies, stood up from her seat among the students to look at my guide.

"Zephyr, you're late… again."

Zephyr? What an interesting name.

He held up his hands in defense. "I know Miss Reid, but I have a perfect excuse this time. You see, my friend here was looking for something to do during her spare and I thought she'd be perfect for our group. We need a strong female character anyways."

The teacher, Miss Reid, took a look at me and hummed. "Are you interested in joining the drama class? We do have an opening."

I shrugged, glancing at the circle of odd looking students before looking back at her. "I… suppose? I really don't know."

Miss. Reid hummed slightly. "Recite to me a passage from Shakespeare and then we shall see if you fit the part we are looking for."

Shakespeare? This I could do with my eyes closed. My dad had done nothing but recite Shakespeare since I was a child and he always encouraged us to read up on his plays. Melina was better at this than I was, but I certainly did my best. And there were a few I had memorized since I was eight.

For instance…

"Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. If that thy bent of love be honourable, thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow, by one that I'll procure to come to thee, where and what time thou wilt perform the rite; and all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world. By and by, I come:-To cease thy suit, and leave me to my grief: To-morrow will I send."

"So thrive my soul!" Came the reply and I looked towards Zephyr. He seemed to be pleased with my performance. "A thousand times the worse, to want thy light. Love goes toward love, as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, toward school with heavy looks."

I smiled at how heartwarming and sincere he sounded. It was like he were actually Romeo and had just found his Juliet.

I cleared my throat slightly. "Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice, to lure this tassel-gentle back again! Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud; else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, and make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine, with repetition of my Romeo's name."

"It is my soul that calls upon my name: How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, like softest music to attending ears!"

"At what o'clock to-morrow shall I send to thee?"

"At the hour of nine."

"I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then. I have forgot why I did call thee back."

Zephyr stood up a bit straighter, making him an inch or so taller than me now, and put on a brave and daring – prince-like – face. "Let me stand here till thou remember it."

I smiled haughtily. "I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, remembering how I love thy company."

"And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, forgetting any other home but this."

I began to get lost in the scene now, silently thinking to myself just how handsome Zephyr was at the moment speaking like he was truly in love with me. Yes, it was a scene… but it was still romantic in a way.

"'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone: and yet no further than a wanton's bird; who lets it hop a little from her hand, like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, and with a silk thread plucks it back again, so loving-jealous of his liberty."

He strode up to me and took my hands lovingly, making me blush slightly. "I would I were thy bird."

I think I felt my knees go weak. Those blue eyes were like pools of the brightest stars. "Sweet, so would I: Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing." I paused slightly to revel in the closeness. "Good night, good night… parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

I round of applause brought me out of my reverie and I jumped back in surprise. I could see all the drama students eating up at the performance, and even Miss Reid was excited to see how well I'd done.

"I believe you've just found a spot in the drama class, young lady!" She said happily. "What was your name again, my dear?"

"Err…" I stuttered nervously before pulling my hands away from Zephyr's. "Roxanne. But, people just call me Roxy."

"Roxanne," she repeated. "What an outstanding name. If you prefer Roxy though, then I'll call you as such."

I shrugged nervously. "Whichever is fine with me."

As the class got back to what they were doing beforehand, Zephyr leaned in to whisper to me.

"You did a fantastic job. I've never seen Miss Reid happier. Our show is going to be perfect with you being part of it."

He then walked towards the group, hunching over again, but looked back at me one more time to speak.

"And by the way, Roxanne suite's you much better than 'Roxy'. A beautiful performer needs an equally beautiful name."

And just like that he was back to business. And me? I was instantly at home with this class.

Even more… I felt special once again.

With four brothers and a sister it was hard to get noticed around the family. But here… here I was a one of a kind. Here, people liked my work and noticed me for it.

And Zephyr? Maybe he wasn't like the brawny and built men in the school, but he was handsome in his own ways. Especially when he got into a scene. From that point on, I wanted to replay that scene over and over again just to see him become Prince-like and loving yet again. Something about the way he played a scene absolutely enthralled me.

After that class, it was announced that Zephyr and I were partners for the remainder of the year. I saw a lot of jealous looks fly my way and at Zephyr. I believe one of the boys of the group even said 'great, so the freaky kid gets the pretty girl, and I'm stuck with Geoff!' to which his partner happily and playfully punched his arm.

The pretty girl? Me? No… I wasn't…

…but I guess if they thought so.

For the first time in my life, since I was much younger, I knew what it felt like to be Melina. Pretty and wanted.

I wished my class never had to end.


	34. Chapter 34

_**A/N: So, which Point Of View next? (Not Mello, because he's sick... believe me it'd be a boring chapter.)**_

_**Also, sorry for the short chapter, but my computer was down all day.**_

_**Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**_

* * *

><p><strong>(Matt P.O.V)<strong>

With the kids in school and Winston taking care of the manor, I had just enough time to pick up my package from L and to go home and enjoy it with Mello. L had no problem making these for me, but Light was more than concerned that his husband had the knowhow to make such a thing. It didn't matter to me, as long as it helped Mello to feel better.

I'd been looking for a simple remedy to help the blonde with his chemotherapy and to help him feel less ill, and I came across something that was quite useful… but a little less than legal. But, since no one knew who L was or where he lived, getting the ingredients and making this remedy for me under his name was a piece of cake. And, if all went well, Mello should be feeling better in no time thanks to his little… treat, shall we call it?

The moment I got home I headed to his room, package in hand, and made for his bed. He was still in pain, and I'd wondered for a bit whether or not he'd be able to keep it down, but I had to try.

"Hey Mels," I said quietly, having him turn to me tiredly, "gotcha a present."

He groaned. "Is it a quieter husband?"

I just smiled smugly at him. "We're not married, remember?"

I then opened the package for him to reveal, rather odd yet enticing smelling, cookies. They were his favourite, double chocolate-chip, with a little something extra added in there.

He gave me a glance of anger. "I can't eat those, Matt, I'll throw up."

"Ah, but they aren't regular cookies, Mello!" I said excitedly.

He blinked in confusion. "What are you getting at, goggles?"

He must have been getting much better because his attitude was improving quite a bit.

I picked up a cookie and handed it to him. "Eat it."

Now he was more than just skeptical. "Matt, I swear, if you poisoned it…"

I bit into it first and swallowed to prove a point and he sighed in defeat. He'd better hurry it up though because this stuff was fast acting and already my head was starting to go into a fuzzy state.

One bite into the cookie and he immediately stared at me angrily. "Pot cookies? Really, Matt?"

I giggled at his reaction. "I read on the internet that marijuana can help with cancer and chemo treatments so I asked L to get you some. I didn't think he'd get you something _this_ strong though. I'm already cloudy!"

The blonde took another bite and chuckled. "Light-weight."

"Well, don't you look better!" I commented, grabbing myself a cookie before relaxing into bed with him.

He gave me a light hit for that. "Fuck off! I need it more than you!"

"Can't I just have one!? You've got… like… eighteen cookies left!"

"Yeah, and I only need about two, so save the rest for my last treatment in a week!"

"We'll just make you more!"

He grumbled for a moment before taking another bite. After the one cookie was gone… he chilled out a little bit more, even smiling a bit.

I giggled again for no good reason. L certainly got the strongest stuff he could find.

This wasn't our first time with marijuana. Hell, I doubted that it would be our last. Mello and I used to smoke pot in our early teen years before Light caught us and banned us from smoking it. So… we had to get creative. Cookies, brownies, cake, even managing to get it into Mello's chocolate somehow. We were banned from smoking it, but not banned from it altogether. Light really should have rephrased his words back then because I remember we over dosed a few times and had to go to class high off our asses and try not to giggle throughout the entire period. It only got harder when we found little sexual innuendos with whatever the teachers said. The worst was in health class though, and we got into a huge amount of trouble for laughing at the word 'breast' until we could no longer breathe.

But, we were more mature now and able to handle our doses a bit better.

…to a degree…

I put the tin away after about three cookies each and tried my hardest not to giggle anymore. I figured those cookies would only be good for about three days so we'd have to dispose of them before then. I was glad to see Mello wasn't in pain anymore however. I'm not sure how much I liked his little shit-eating grin, but I chopped that up to the drugs more than anything else.

He leaned onto me and just let the feelings overtake him. He was certainly feeling no pain at the moment since he was complaining about a headache about an hour ago.

Ah, the miracles of illegal drugs.

Somewhere between the states of mellowness and after effects Mello started humming something to himself. I didn't even have to guess what it was either. It was the lullaby his mother sang to him as a child and the same one he sang to his children when they were babies. And I began to feel a little bad for him. The blonde was stuck up in his room, feeling terrible and worthless, while everyone was out living their lives. He's missed Ink's birthday, had had to cancel on family plans, and was just generally sad about not being able to see his kids as much as he used to. I wanted to help him, but he wasn't well enough to do all he wanted to.

His humming stopped and he clung onto my arm lovingly. "Matt, I love you. You know that, right?"

Here we go. Now he was getting to talking more. Not always a good thing when you're high.

"Of course, Mello." I emphasized with a kiss to his forehead. "And I love you too."

"No, Matt, like… I love you…"

I couldn't help but giggle at him and the way he was talking. "Yes, darling, I love you too."

He hugged my arm closer. "I don't deserve someone like you."

What? Where was this coming from?

He continued. "You're always so good to me, and I never tell you how much I care about you. I should be telling you every day how much I love you and how much more complete my life is when I'm with you. Instead I just nag you and make you do all the chores. I wouldn't blame you if you just walked out right now and found someone better."

I jolted forward at this and he flinched, making himself more awake. "Mello, quit talking like that! I'm not going to leave you!"

"You should." He said calmly, snuggling into the covers. "I'm not good enough for someone like you. You're a good man, and you never complain about much. All I ever do is make your life hell."

"Mello!" I exclaimed.

He shrugged. "It's the truth, Matt."

"No, it's not!" I said as I forced him to look up at me. "Mello, I've loved you since we were kids! Why would you ever think that you aren't good enough for me!? You're the only one I will ever care about and love more than anything for the rest of my life! And yes, you are abrasive, but that's what's sexy about you! Why would I want some delicate, unpassionate flower, when I could have a strong, sexy, fighting machine! Dammit Mello, do you really think so little of yourself?!"

He shrugged again. "I just want you to be happy, Matt. And I know I'm not easy to live with."

I lay down beside him and huffed. "Mel, you aren't easy to live with. You yell, you lose your temper, you're demanding and needy, and more times than not you blame me for things I didn't even do." I paused to brush his hair back. "But you still have the heart and courage to admit when you're wrong and tell me you're sorry. You love me and the kids with all your might, and I couldn't ask for someone better to keep me in line. Hell knows I'd be a disaster on my own. With you, I don't have to worry about my life falling into shambles."

He grinned slightly before cuddling in closer to me. "I'm so lucky to have you, Matt. My life would be so boring without you."

I hugged him to my chest and hummed. "I doubt any other man would bring you pot cookies for your pain. I'd do it in a heartbeat."

The blonde scoffed. "Because you know I'll share them."

I giggled again before I heard the front doors from down stairs open and close. It sounded as if the kids were back from their first day of school.

I groaned. "I should not have had that third cookie."

The blonde before me chuckled to himself before kissing my cheek. "Have fun explaining your odd attitude to them."

"I don't know, I think I'm pretty sober enough." I challenged before climbing on top of him. "But I'd much rather stay here and shower you kisses!"

I began my onslaught of said kisses and he squirmed and wriggled beneath me, all the while giggling happily. "And how is this being sober!"

I kept kissing him, making sure they were all feathery light and ticklish, before answering with one long kiss on the sensitive spot near the nook of his neck and jaw. "I said I was sober enough. And I don't think the kids will notice much of a difference since I'm usually chilled out and more relaxing than you."

"I'll make you eat those words when I'm better." He warned, still smiling at me.

One more kiss goodbye and I was off to see how our kids did in school. Ink wouldn't be back until an hour later with Light and L, but I already knew most of what he'd probably learned already. I was a Wammy kid once too. And the main reason he was learning with them was…

…

…well…

…

…he had the potential to become a successor in the third generation.


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: I really liked writing this chapter! And you'll see why!  
><strong>_

**_Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all at the next chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Roxanne P.O.V)<strong>

"How fast did you finish your homework?" Mason challenged Andrei.

The other red head just scoffed. "I finished it in class the day we got it."

"That was a two week project!"

Andrei merely shrugged. "Yeah, and I finished it. Why, haven't you started it yet?"

Mason growled. "Shut up! I finished it today!"

Another scoff from the smaller red head. "Loser."

I sighed heavily and picked through my snack, waiting for Melina a Lucas to show up. We'd been in school for about a week and a half now and it seemed like the days were just on repeat for the most of us. The only big difference was that today was the last day of treatment for our dad, and he'd be back to normal. For the moment we were just waiting for Winston to come pick us up so we could go home and wait for dad to return. We were going to be celebrating his last days of treatments by taking him to a restaurant. After that, and another week of suffering for the man because… well… chemo, he'd more than likely get back to his work and ask for another assignment from L or our grandfather.

Lucas finally showed up and he was just as pissed to see that Melina still hadn't shown herself.

"Honestly, the minute she becomes the center of attention here she loses her mind." He growled angrily.

Mason just laughed. "Pretty blonde girl with attitude walks into the school wearing skin tight leather and showing off more skin than needed, and you're _surprised_ they're looking at her? Lucas, there's more to life than the brains of the female. But I will admit that Lara _is _pretty smokin' in a bikini."

One glance at Lucas and the red head shut his mouth instantly, turning back to his game.

Melina finally joined up with the rest of us then.

"Sorry I'm late. Is Winston here yet?"

"Five minutes." Andrei warned. "I hope Dad's doing alright."

"He's a tough old nut." Mason reassured. "Goddamned blonde will never die, I swear it."

"That makes it sound like you want him to!" Andrei exclaimed.

Mason glared at him. "Let's recap: The man's been shot at, beaten up, stabbed, and knocked out more times than I can count. Do you really think cancer or a tumor is going to kill him after all that?"

"Let's not forget drugged and raped." Lucas reminded nonchalantly. "And Da hasn't had a walk in the park either."

Andrei blinked. "Jesus, it's like they were made from a factory or something."

"Like robots gone sentient." Mason smiled out. He then laughed to himself. "Gay robots gone sentient. There's a porno for you Andrei!"

The smaller red head hit him as hard as he could. "Shut up! That was _one_ time! ONE TIME!"

"It was still robot on robot, and I am appalled that I know this about you."

"Says the furry." Lucas coughed out.

I had to do my best not to laugh. Mason was not actually a furry… but he didn't generalize what he got off on. Today it could be furries, tomorrow it could be yaoi or yuri. It really just didn't matter to him. And with how familiarized this conversation sounded amongst us, it was no surprize we didn't care what we were 'into' just that our parents didn't know.

Some people were weird around their own families about what they talked about, but not us. We'd been the closest friends to each other since we were kids. We never went to school and had friends from other places so we just made friends with each other. I think that's one of the many reasons why our dad's didn't put us in school. They wanted us to cherish the bond we had with each other instead of avoiding the lot of us. It kind of worked because even though Lucas and Melina were, technically, more popular than us in the school – Lucas joining the football/soccer team, and Melina joining the cheerleading squad – they still didn't avoid us like the plague. Throwing Zephyr into a state of both dumbfounded-ness, and intrigue.

I didn't have that many friends in school quite yet, but Zephyr was definitely high on my list of people I liked. He was quiet, but not reserved, smart and cunning, and he never shied away from a conversation. He wasn't that popular himself, not like his brother Seth who was taking a shine to my sister, but enough people liked him and spoke about him fondly to a point where I didn't see a reason not to like him.

Besides… he was kind of cute…

…in a drama-nerd kind of way.

"Hey, Cherry-head!" I heard a familiar voice call my name.

Speak of the devil.

The blue eyed angel of darkness himself trotted to me, smile on his face. I really had to fight the blush away because the way he looked at me with his big, kid-like eyes, was just too adorable.

I got up from my seat on the floor to get to eye level with him. "What's up?"

He handed me a script outline and I immediately jolted at the sight and started looking through my bag frantically to prove it wasn't mine…

…but it was…

…I'd forgotten it again.

Zephyr laughed slightly when he saw me hang my head in shame as I slowly took the script from him. "Thank you."

"Ah, what would you do without me!" He joked.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, before smiling coyly. "Be partners with Geoff?"

His smile faded. "Don't even joke about that. You know he can't carry a scene worth his life."

I flipped through the pages nonchalantly to see if they were all there. "Well, you're one to talk with the way you got distracted during practice today."

"It was one line I messed up! Quit holding that against me!"

I pouted jokingly at him. "Yet you did so well at my tryouts."

He had nothing to say about that. He instead flipped the conversation around to something else.

"Well, now that I'm here, I might as well ask if you'd like to rehearse a few lines with me over the weekend. We have to give a performance each on Wednesday and I haven't exactly gotten all of my soliloquy memorized."

I was mildly surprised at him. "But it's so simple!"

"For you, maybe! I can't capture Duncan's soliloquy! It's just… complicated!"

I felt the eye roll coming before it even surfaced. "Fine. Come to my place tomorrow and we'll work on it. You're lucky I know Macbeth from front to back. And I'll be sure to scream it extra loud on Wednesday to make you screw up your lines."

His nostrils flared. "You evil shrew."

I merely chuckled before writing my address down on a sheet of paper and handed it to him. "I'll see you at around one?"

"Sure thing!" He promised before saying his good byes and walking off.

I took one moment to stare at him for a bit before looking back at my brothers and sister all watching me. Each and every one of them had an odd looking grin on their faces. Well, everyone but Lucas. He just looked troubled.

I blinked at them. "What?"

Mason decided to break the silence by putting on an effeminate and lisp-y voice before saying, "Oh, he ith tho cute! Honey, put a ring on that man!"

I immediately slapped him for the comment and he giggled at my reaction.

Andrei scoffed slightly. "Cute is not even the half of it. Seriously, Roxy, where'd you find him, and does he have a twin?"

I rolled my eyes. "No twins, just an older brother."

"Yeah, Seth." Lucas growled out. "Which makes me wary of him."

Melina growled as well. "What do you have against Seth?! The man's a paragon of beauty!"

"He's also a womanizer, Mina." He warned, turning to her. "I've heard all his stories about how he goes around sleeping with girls and breaking up with them a day or so later. The guy's a loser and an asshole. Stay away from him."

Melina didn't usually listen to Lucas too often, but when it came to the attitude he was wearing right now she was more than cooperative. "Alright. The guy ate with his mouth open anyway. Gross."

The blonde then looked at me. "And you should stay away from Zephyr. I don't know his backstory, but if he's learned anything from his brother…"

"I can make my own friends, Lucas." I challenged him. "And Zephyr hasn't given me a reason to hate him yet."

The tall blonde cocked an eyebrow at me. "Oh? Well then, might I asked if he's ever swayed you with pretty words? Or maybe did he have a suave or caring nature to him at some point like he did with your script?"

I had no idea where he was going with this, but it made me slightly nervous. "Y-yes?"

"Exactly. He's just leading you on, Roxy. Please don't let a pretty face-"

"Roxanne!" Came Zephyr's voice again.

He slid to a halt in front of me and took a moment to catch his breath. "Thank god… you're still here!"

I blinked in surprise. "Err… is something wrong?"

He was about to say what it was before catching a glimpse of my family behind me. "Could we maybe talk where there's less people?"

"Hey, you're an actor bud!" Lucas feigned a joyful expression, putting an elbow on my shoulder. "Anything you have to say to my little sister, you can say in front of me, and her other older siblings."

"Excuse me, but I was out before them." I reminded the blonde, pointing a thumb over my shoulder to the other two red heads.

"Can't prove it baby sis!" He replied, hugging me into his side.

Zephyr blinked once before blushing slightly. "Alright then." He muttered before digging into his pocket and offering me something.

I fell into silence when I saw the makeshift white coloured lily in his hand attached to an intricate copper hair barrette. It looked as if it were a real live lily, but it was made with thin metal wiring and carefully moulded plastic. Had Zephyr actually made this?! For me?!

I took it out of his hand gently and he smiled slightly. "I remember you said how much you liked the rose one that Miss Reid was wearing last week so I made you one in art class. You said lilies were your favourite flora, right?"

I couldn't hide my blush as I nodded. "Thank you, Zephyr. You're really sweet, you know that?"

He shrugged shyly before backing away. "So… tomorrow? Scripts? Plays? Making me a better actor?"

My smile didn't fade. "Tomorrow at one."

His smile widened slightly before he caught a glimpse of Lucas glaring at him and he hurried his pace. Looking back every so often to smile at me.

When the blue eyed sweetheart was out of sights I immediately punched Lucas in the gut for embarrassing me like that. Yes, he was my brother and he had every right to look out for me, but dammit if he couldn't let me have this one moment all to myself!

Mason and Andrei were greatly surprised while Melina was holding her hands over her mouth to stop from squealing.

"Damn bitch!" Andrei joked. "He is hooked on you!"

Melina pulled me into a hug. "Roxy! That was adorable!"

I giggled before pushing her away. "Shut up and help me put this on!"

She happily got to work with putting the flower in my hair and Lucas just grumbled unhappily. "I still don't like him."

"Why," Melina challenged, "because your baby sister does?"

"I don't…!" I was about to argue, but then rethought. "Well… it's not like I don't like him. But I don't… _like_ him."

"Whatever you say, 'Cherry-head'." Mason taunted, to which Melina kicked him for me and he fell to the floor.

She got the pin in my hair and she hugged me again. "You look gorgeous! And the white definitely brings out your eyes!"

I couldn't help the smile on my face. It just felt… nice to be considered gorgeous. Even more that my sister thought so herself.

We heard a honking and saw our ride was outside, so we packed up right away and headed for the limousine. Winston noticed the flower almost instantly and immediately complimented me on how beautiful I looked with it.

Of course I blushed, but I didn't try to hide it anymore. I liked the compliments…

…and… I had Zephyr to thank for them.

* * *

><p><strong>(Mason P.O.V)<strong>

"Winston could have left a snack!" I groaned, face first into the tiled floor.

Ink only laughed. "You're adorable when you're desperate."

"Isn't he, though?!" Lucas added.

I growled at the two of them.

We were all waiting in the kitchen for Winston to return with our dads so we could go out to dinner, but the problem I was facing was that I hadn't eaten at all today. I didn't buy lunch today because I was too busy hacking the school mainframe to unblock my game from the server so I could play as the Dark Raven during my math class. This proved to be a good, yet bad, thing to do since now I was starving and couldn't wait for dinner any longer!

It wasn't helping that Ink was mocking me and my childish behaviour on the matter either.

Lucas sighed heavily. "I think I saw Da put a tin up on top of the fridge, but I don't know what's in it. Maybe you should just wait..."

"Nope!" I exclaimed before poaching the tin off of the fridge.

Lucky me, dad was hiding cookies! Even better, double chocolate chip!

I waved one of the cookies at Lucas, who looked more than angry at me. "Put it away! If they're up there it's definitely because Da doesn't want us to have them!"

"Then he should have hid them better!" I argued before biting into it…

…and tasting something that was not… well… a cookie ingredient.

I smacked my lips a bit and I suppose my expression caught their attentions.

"Something wrong with it?" Melina asked.

I swallowed the morsel but shook my head. "I don't know. It just tastes… weird."

"Let me try." Andrei demanded, taking the bitten cookie from me and tasting for himself.

One by one the cookie went around and soon it was all gone. Then came another… and another… and the tin was soon gone…

…and everything was just… awesome…

I lifted a hand. "Is… is anyone else…?"

"Kinda cloudy?" Andrei finished.

I was amazed. "Dude! You read my mind!"

"Seriously!?" He asked excitedly. "That's wicked! Think of a number!"

"Okay… it's eight!"

"Was it eight?"

"How'd you know!"

The other four in the room started testing this ability and he got it right on every try! I couldn't believe it!

"Okay okay!" Melina started up. "I'm thinking of a colour!"

"Green!"

"HE'S A WITCH!" She cried out.

Aerrow just sat in his chair and stared at Andrei. "Or is he a demon?"

We all looked at each other then back to Andrei who was as worried as we were.

"Am… am I… possessed?"

Roxy suddenly hugged him. "No, Andrei, you just have a gift! The world will not understand it right away, but they will in time!" She looked up at us. "Join in the hug, brothers and sisters! Make him feel loved!"

We did so without question and hugged our brother happily, promising to always love him! No matter how much of a necromancer he was!

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

Coming home from my final treatment, having been promised a feast and a happy get together with my family – a loving partner, good children, and happy home…

…

instead I come back home to all six of my kids, high off their asses, sitting in the kitchen, Lucas and Mason shirtless, Ink in his undies, and my girls without their pants, talking about their favourite movies and the deep meaning behind the 'Lion King' as well as 'How I Met Your Mother'. Even worse, not one single pot cookie was left, meaning Matt had to get more before my symptoms kicked in from my final treatment.

The red haired bastard himself hadn't even said a word yet.

I glanced at my children… then back to the man beside me.

"You didn't hide the cookies-"

"I didn't hide the cookies, no." He nodded along with what I'd said. "I take full responsibility for this."

I sighed heavily, scratching my neck and looking back at the six doped up teenagers before us. "So what do we do with them?"

Matt shrugged a bit before replying with, "Get 'em some munchies and soda and let 'em ride it out. There's no way to sober them up. Especially when this is their first time. Let them enjoy it!"

I groaned to myself. "Winston?"

The man came running in. "Yes ser?"

"Could you watch them to make sure they don't hurt themselves while Matt takes me out to dinner? I've had a long enough day."

The man chuckled. "Of course, ser. Enjoy your evening."

I turned on my heel and walked away from the scene, Matt following right behind.

"So… where do you wanna go?" He tried to make me forget.

I glanced at him. "First you're going back to L and demand him another batch of cookies."

"Fair enough." He agreed. "And then?"

I opened the door to go outside. "And then we're going to that fancy French restaurant and you're paying for the entire meal."

"Once again, very fair." He said as he opened the car door for me, a bit nervous now. "And afterwards?"

I glared at him. "Afterwards, you're looking after our strung out kids while I rest in bed. And when you get the next batch of cookies, they stay in my room, and you may not have one. Understood?"

He nodded to me. "Yes, my love."

I took my seat in the car and crossed my arms. "After the next batch, no more pot in the manor."

He got into the driver's seat. "Now, when you say not in the manor…"

"Not in our rooms, the bathrooms, the living room, the garage, the car, the kitchen, the yard, the garden, the gym, or in the pool! None! Nada! Zip! Zilch! Absolutely no pot! Understood!"

He nodded fearfully. "Got it."

I laid back in my chair before hearing him giggle. "And you called me a light-weight with marijuana. Did you see those kids!?"

I couldn't help the smile creep up on my face before giggling slightly. "Mason looked like you the first time you tried a pot brownie!"

"Well what about Lucas!?" He exclaimed as he backed up the car. "That was you when you were sixteen!"

"I admit to getting naked in the name of drugs, this is true! But you wouldn't stop cuddling me!"

The whole ride to L and Light's we were comparing stories from our first time using, and I couldn't help but laugh at all the similarities between us and the kids! Jesus, it was like watching our past replay in front of us! Finishing a batch of pot cookies and just laying half naked on a cold kitchen floor, contemplating the meaning of life and why Daniel Radcliff was such a tool…. good times.

I'd eventually lift the ban on pot, but not until the kids were much older and could buy their own stash. Until then… we'd have to be a bit more cautious about when and where we decided to have some fun for ourselves.

Boy were L and Light going to love the story Matt told them when he asked for more.


	36. Chapter 36

_**A/N: New Chapter!  
><strong>_

**_Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all at the next chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

Lara was on the floor laughing her ass right off after I told her about our little escapade with the cookies. Our dads made it no secret what they were after we had come down from our high. I still can't believe me and my siblings had eaten pot cookies! Even more, that our dads had been eating them behind our backs!

She hadn't stopped laughing yet, and was now starting to hiccup from too much laughter. "YOU ATE POT COOKIES!? OH MY GOD!"

I only growled as I hid my head under my pillow. "Shut up! I had no idea they were laced with drugs!"

"YOU ATE A WHOLE TIN OF THEM!" She burst out. "A WHOLE TIN!"

I just grumbled and shrank into my bed. "They were shared among us. I think I may have only had four… maybe five."

Her laugh had gone into silent mode and Lara was doubled over on the floor clutching her stomach. It looked as though she were out of breath.

"That is priceless!" She wheezed out.

I finally had enough and fell to the floor start tickling her. I knew she hated it more than anything because every part of her was sensitive, but she'd done it to herself when she started laughing at me. If there had been one more left, I would have shoved a pot cookie down her throat so I could laugh right back at her.

She started to squeal and kick the moment the tickling began. "Lucas! Stop it!"

"Not until you let the pot thing go!" I demanded, giggling at her reactions. She was much smaller than me, and easy to overpower, but she was just adorable when she squeaked or giggled.

She started smacking my hand away and clawing at me. I decided to just end this and hold her hands above her head, making sure to keep myself straddled on her pelvis so she couldn't kick me. She tried to wriggle away, but I had a pretty good grip on her wrists.

"Something you want to say?" I asked, making sure she knew I was boss.

She giggled slightly, heaving a bit from all the laughter she'd wasted. "Yes. You look positively handsome when you're mad."

I scoffed. "You liar."

I let go of her wrists and leaned in to connect my lips to hers. It wasn't a secret that we were an item, but I wasn't exactly allowed to have her in my room with the door closed. But we didn't actually do anything other than make out once or twice. I just didn't feel any need to go faster than that. Lara was… well… delicate, in my eyes. And I didn't want her to rush into something with me unless she really wanted to.

My fathers had always taught me and my brothers to be gentlemen and never rush into something serious like sex. Mason and Andrei didn't really care since neither of them thought sex was necessary – Ink being a little young at the moment for Mason, and Andrei not having anyone at all – but with me I'd made it my duty never to rush myself. I learned when I was younger that rushing into something was a bad thing, and that I really could have hurt Lara in ways I hadn't meant to. So, I never dared to go anywhere above or below her abdomen. And Lara never made any sudden moves either. But I chalked that up to the fear of her father finding out.

Near still wasn't pleased with me dating his daughter, but he never said anything about it. I knew by the way he glared at me, though, that he didn't want me anywhere close to her. With his wife pregnant with another child on the way, however, his mind was occupied elsewhere and Lara was left all to myself.

I felt her hands caress my face and neck before she pulled me in deeper to the kiss. Things were getting just a little more heated when I heard someone knock on my door before entering without my consent. Thankfully it wasn't either of my dads, but Mason. However, seeing that me and Lara were intertwined on the floor, did not make us look good.

Another reason I didn't go anywhere risqué with Lara… my whole family seemed to walk in at all the opportune moments.

He leaned on the archway to my bed chambers. "You two look like you're having fun."

I growled before standing up and helping Lara to stand. "What have I told you about coming into my room without consent?!"

"Oh, well sor-ry!" He said as he spun around, heading back to the door. "I just thought you wanted to spy on Zephyr and Roxanne with me. But, if you're okay with them right now…"

I didn't even let him finish as I rushed past him and through the door to go find my baby sister to see if she was alright.

I still didn't trust Zephyr. With Seth being his older brother there was no telling what he'd learned from the meat head! And I'd be damned if my little sister got hurt because of him!

I made to the hall near the stairway and stopped in my tracks at the banister to peek over and spy on them, Lara following soon after.

They were in the living room and he was looking around in amazement. "Whoa! You should've said something before about living in a mansion!"

"Manor." She corrected. "A mansion is smaller and something you win from a sweepstakes. A manor is something you inherit without spending any money."

"Either way, it's huge! It's more like an estate!"

Roxy paused for a moment before nodding. "Actually, you might be right. I think it's an estate. I never really asked my father."

Lara giggled. "Aw, he's cute! I think they look good together!"

"Who's side are you on?!" I demanded from from her in a whisper.

The girl just smiled at me. "Are you sure you aren't just being overprotective?"

"She's my little sister!" I reminded her. "And that kid's brother is a complete womanizer! He even has this list that has ratings from one to ten on how good his previous one night stands were at sex! The bastard was raving about it to his buds in the locker room yesterday! I won't have my little sisters be part of it!"

The moment Roxy left to go grab a snack, I decided to have a one-on-one with the little bastard. Lara tried to stop me, but I was too pissed to listen. My sister deserved better than him, and I'd make sure he knew this too.

I strode down the stairs, my eyes narrowed and lips tight, and the black haired kid noticed me immediately. I could see cross his eyes before forcing out a nervous smile.

"Hi!" He said politely. "Err… nice to see you again!"

My eyes slit more, making me look dangerous. "Look kid, we aren't at school anymore. We're in _my_ territory, and I'm laying down a few of the laws here. One: don't you dare touch my sister! Above all else, you do not touch her! Two: don't even _think_ about her, or I will tear off your limbs! And lastly: if I even think that you've disobeyed the first two rules, I won't have any trouble giving you a black eye to match that emo hair of yours! Got it!"

The kid looked terrified as he nodded slightly. "O-okay. Um… can I still rehearse my scene here though? My brother has a girl over right now and I'm kinda locked out of the room for a few hours."

I don't know why this made me angry, but I picked him up by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"You saying that if he weren't in there it'd be I don't know why this made me angry, but I picked him up by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"You saying that if he weren't in there it'd be YOUR turn!? Would you bring my sister there!?"

His eyes shot open and he lifted his hands in defence. "What! NO! NO, no I promise you I don't have any intentions like that about Roxanne! I just… I have to share a room with my brother when we live with our dad, and he always kicks me out when he has a girl over! That's why I asked that Roxanne and I work at her place!"

Something didn't sound right about what he said, but before I could ask…

"Look, if you're really that uncomfortable with my being here… I'll leave." He offered. "I just… I kinda don't like being at home all the time. Not when my parents are fighting like this."

I finally let him go and calmed down slightly. "Why are your parents fighting?"

He rubbed his shoulder and avoided my eyes. "They got a divorce a few months ago and both me and Seth have been travelling back and forth between homes every week. It's even worse because I have to share a room with him when we go to my dad's and he always has a girl over so I'm kicked out of the room almost weekly… if not daily."

His sob story was heartfelt, yes, but I still didn't trust him. "Forgive me if I've been more than overprotective about my sister, but your brother has a past-"

"That makes even me look bad." He finished. "You think I don't know that? That's why I don't always tell people we're brothers. Especially if I really like a girl. It's just not fair that I get type-casted because of my stupid brother." He glanced up at me. "I suppose you know about the list as well?"

My eyes narrowed again.

A good enough answer for him. "Yeah, well, I posted it online on his blog before I left if that makes you feel any better."

"You what!?" I exclaimed. "Why would you…?"

"Tons of girls finding out that they were nothing more than an experiment for him? Most of which are still at school?" He snickered. "I'm not sure he'll live to see graduation. Plus, it gets rid of my problem about being kicked out of our room every so often."

"And if he gets expelled from school?" I asked, vaguely intrigued.

His grin turned wicked. "Like he did twice already? He'll be sent to military school. I get my own room at both my parent's houses now."

I had nothing more to say about him. The kid was dark, smart, critically thinking, and vindictive…

…

I held out my hand. "Welcome to the family!"

He chuckled slightly before taking my hand, but I brought him in closer to warn him. "But I'm still serious about you touching my sister."

His smile turned nervous. "Noted."

* * *

><p><strong>(Lara P.O.V)<strong>

I rolled my eyes at the blonde but was happy to see him back off a little on his sister's date.

I'd known Lucas for close to my whole life and he was always protective of his brothers and sisters. He was technically the oldest of the batch and his fathers trusted him more than the others since he never gave them a reason not to. I never understood the bond between siblings, and I was scared of it now more than ever with my mother being pregnant. I was fifteen, close to sixteen, and I'd be having a new baby brother or sister in the next month or so. Would they like me? Would I like them? Would everything change now that I wasn't an only child?

My dad had stopped worrying about me so much now, which was a good thing I suppose, but I was already missing him making sure that I was alright or if Lucas had left any hickeys on me….

…he had… but my dad never found them.

I was scared… but excited. I was going to be an older sister!

…but… would I be forgotten?

Looking at how uncle Mello and Matt handled six kids, they never favoured one over the other. So, would my parents be able to do the same?

Maybe I was just over thinking this too much. My parents would always love and care for me, no matter if they had another child or not…

…right?


	37. Chapter 37

_**A/N: One more chapter for the night!  
><strong>_

**_Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all at the next chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I wasn't exactly up to full speed at the moment, but I was enjoying time with my family again. To me, that was all I needed.

The moment I came out of my room for the first time, feeling no pain at all, I was bombarded with hugs from my kids. Lucas, especially, seemed to be happy about my speedy recovery. I know I put a lot on his shoulders to handle, but it was because I trusted him so heartily that I gave him all this responsibility. And, other than the pot incident – which I blame on his father – he had done well. Everything was nice and well kept, no one got injured, and everyone was happy.

Now, with me on my feet more, I decided to get back to work. With helping L and Light once more. It wasn't that straining of a job, looking over files and repeating information back to the two at their headquarters, but I was still tired from having to go through treatment. Not to mention Watari's passing was… well… it took its toll on all of us.

L had been saddened by the loss but he didn't show it too much. Wammy had been his father-figure after all, but I doubted that the old man would have wanted L to grieve for him so painfully. Wammy even made it fully aware that he didn't want a funeral or a service after his passing. So L had the man cremated and set next to his wife where her ashes also remained. The woman had never met L, but Wammy always said that if she had, she would have loved him like her own son.

After the passing, everything just got quieter around the family. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that L started up cases once more and a new Watari had to be in place for Wammy. This new Watari had his voice disguised with a microphone, and wasn't even known as 'Watari' anymore. The new name for him had now become… Raito.

None of us were surprised.

Light had always ben beside L and took care of him when Wammy couldn't. It was only fitting that the man take his place. Not to mention it had been Light who was out and about helping L when Wammy had come down with his illness. Right before he passed on, he made Light promise him to continue to take care of L when he inevitably passed. And, of course, Light agreed.

So, there was no longer a Watari… but now there was Ratio. And on his first mission he even managed to fool his own father in Japan while working on a case. Light did eventually let his father in on the secret, but it came as a shock to hear that Watari had passed on. What shocked me was that no one guessed that it was Light under the disguise the moment he uttered the name 'Ratio'. I mean, how obvious can he get with that name? He literally just said his own name but in a different symbol.

I still laugh at his name to this day, too. Moon Yagami? So why do they call him Light if his name is literally Moon? I just don't get it.

I wouldn't even bring up his last name for fear he might hit me. Yag-a- mi? I'm a gay? Priceless!

I smiled to myself at this as I flipped through the file before the man himself walked into the Manor.

He instantly caught my smile the moment he stepped foot into the living room. "Mello, why the grin?"

I didn't tell him directly. "It's nothing, Yagami."

He knew this was odd behaviour, even for me, but decided not to pursue further. "Whatever. Listen, L needs to know your opinion on the current case. After this is all done we have an assignment involving another artifact in the mythical world. We went back to that Dais we found years ago and found something interesting."

I growled. "Just don't let the kids know. They'll want to be all over it and you know that for a fact."

"Only Lara knows about it and that's only because she'd the one who uncovered it. She believes she may have found out where Thor's hammer is."

I jolted slightly at this. "Thor's hammer? Like as is Thor the god of thunder?"

"Exactly. But we're not sure yet. Your old friend Rottwood may have also uncovered the same thing, but he hasn't been acting up lately since he's been touring around and giving lavish speeches in institutes and historic museums. He's been much more active than us in the archeology world, and your father's beginning to get pretty upset."

I hummed at this before relaxing back into my seat on the couch. "I suppose we'll have to bring back some evidence for my father to display this time."

"But not the hammer itself, you mean."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Bring a god's deadly weapon back into the world of the mortals? Only a moron would do something like that. A moron named Rottwood."

"Well, thankfully he hasn't decoded the text like we have." The, now beginning to grey, brunette said happily as he took the files from me. "I'll make sure L gets this straight away. Anything you want to add?"

"Yeah, tell him to send me harder cases."

He merely smiled as he made for the exit, but not before making sure to plant a kiss on my head like when I was younger.

Honestly, I'm reaching my forties and the man is still treating me like a child.

…well, I guess it's what parents just do. Thankfully I had my own kids to embarrass and torture in front of their new school friends.

It looked as though school was going well for them. Two months in and none of them had been expelled yet. And more than half of them had a few new friends.

Ink didn't exactly count, but he'd managed to make a few friends at the Wammy house while studying there. It wasn't that strong of a bond considering he didn't much like to be bothered as is, but they were still kind. Roxanne mentioned a few friends from her drama class, Zephyr mostly, and even brought the dark haired boy home to work on a scene together. Matt was present for most of the time but I got him out of there and let the two have their alone time together for a bit before Zephyr had to go home. I promised Roxanne that I'd tie up her father the next time he was invited over and she hugged me in gratitude.

Mason brought home a few friends from his computer animation course, and Andrei brought one or two from art class. There was one more friend that he had that came over later than the others, I believe his name was Tyler, was a taller young man who looked like your regular beach boy body builder, but Andrei let him in anyway. Upon getting to know him further I couldn't help but see the small blush on the teens face whenever Andrei noticed him. Sure, this kid was… not Wammy house material. But he was sweet and kind to my little Andrei. But, one false move that involved my son getting hurt…

…and I had no problem popping his head clean off his shoulders.

I may be thin and held the grace that easily resembled the female form, but mess with my children and I'd start ripping eyes right out of their sockets!

…so… I was sort of a mommy, in a sense… but stronger and more than able to kill and not be found out by police. Hell, Light and L might just help me hide the body.

As for Lucas, he never really brought anyone home. He told me it was because no one deserved his attention when all they liked him for was his winning in the soccer matches. Not only that, but he was just tired of all the females gushing over him and making a scene whenever he was just trying to eat his lunch. I guess I could understand that, but I still wished he'd loosen up a bit and start friend searching or… something.

As for Melina…

…well…

…she was a lot like me at her age.

Heads turned wherever she went, and she was getting texts and phone calls every few minutes asking if she wanted to go out on a date or just hang out with some of the other girls. Now, I can't say that ALL of that was me at her age… but I distinctly remember getting hit on constantly for me looking like a female. Years later, I'm reaching my forties, and men still thought I was a female. I blame the hair… and the toned body… and leather…

…

…I did it to myself, and I more than admit it.

I really didn't know how to feel about my daughter being eye candy all over the school, but the fact still remained that she didn't bring any random boys home, she didn't go out at the drop of a text, she always stayed for family dinners, and she wasn't sneaking out at night to go partying. So why would I need to worry?

I hummed at this slightly before sitting up a bit. Melina was strong in her ways, but was she strong mentally? What about peer pressure or bullying? Could she handle any of it?

I decided to get up and go find Matt to talk to him about this. Out of all my kids I was worried about her the most. Yes, she could hold her own in a fight, but in a world when girls spoke about each other behind their backs… that's where my worries stemmed.

Maybe I was being overprotective again… but I just had a bad feeling about all of this.

* * *

><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

I closed my locker and was just about to leave for the day when I heard someone speak.

"Melina, right?"

I turned to my left to see a rather tall, handsome young man looking down at me. It was another member from my brother's soccer team, but this one was one of my favourites to look at.

Cedric was tall, brown haired, and nicely toned. He never really said much to me before since he was with another cheerleader in the squad, but I always ogled him from afar anytime he decided to come and surprise Christina. Oddly enough, those visits were more frequent after I joined the squad. The other girls were saying it was because he loved her so much, but to be honest I highly doubted he was staring at her and her alone when we practiced. More than enough times I caught him eyeing me from the bleachers while we practiced, and it didn't help matters that I was one of the only girls that could do flips and handsprings on a dime thanks to my dad teaching me when I was much younger.

I bit down on my lip before answering. "And you're Cedric, correct? Christina's boyfriend?"

He shrugged. "Well… ex-boyfriend now."

JACKPOT!

"Oh, I'm sorry." I feigned sympathy. "What happened?"

He chuckled slightly. "She's just not my type. The squeals and constant texting was starting to get to me."

"Texting? What do you mean by that?"

He grumbled. "She wouldn't get off of her phone for the life of her. It was just annoying and not worth my time. So I broke up with her. Actually, I thought you'd be pretty happy."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why would I be happy about it?"

He got a little closer to me now. "Because… you know… we can go out now."

I backed away from him. "Look, I'm flattered that you want to date me, but last I checked you two were together this morning. So that means you broke up with her just recently. And I'm not going to start dating someone right when they break up with their girlfriend. I have more standards than that."

"Come on! Christina doesn't care!"

"No!" I said angrily. "I'm not that cruel, and I won't turn on Christina like that especially when she just finished saying this morning how much she loved you!"

"Oh please, she's so over-dramatic!" He said as he grabbed my wrist. "Let's just go get coffee or something!"

I tried to wriggle away, but he only tightened his grip. It wasn't until he backed me up against the lockers that I'd had to use force. One kick to the crotch was all he needed and he was down for the count.

I turned away from him before he could say anything more and walked away, feeling my anger grow. I had much better standards than this and I wouldn't give in to somebody just because I had had a slight crush on them. Cedric was not worth it either if this was how he chose to view relationships. Like a wrapper that could be discarded at any point in time. Disgusting. Not to mention his forceful behaviour!

My father was not going to be pleased when I told him about this. And that was just the red headed one.


	38. Chapter 38

_**A/N: I lied... NOW it's the last chapter for the night!  
><strong>_

**_Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all at the next chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Mello P.O.V)<strong>

I was wasting a lot of energy kicking down doors to the school, but dammit if I wasn't furious about what I'd just heard.

Mat was still trying his best to calm me down.

"Mello, I'm pissed about this too, but can't we just talk to the school about this?!" He tried to reason.

But reason was far out the door at this point in time.

Not ten minutes after Melina tells me some boy was forcing himself on her, did Lucas get a text from one of his teammates saying this Cedric piece of shit spilling untrue rumours that they'd been sleeping together behind everyone's backs. Not only was Melina in hysterics and crying her eyes out at home, but Lucas was pissed, I was pissed, Matt was pissed, and just about everyone else who knew about this was pissed! So I decided to take matters into my own hands.

L had already joined me in the fight and demanded that the teachers stay out of what was about to go down, but he paid a hefty sum of cash to make even the boy's parents look away at what was about to happen. And not only that, but my father even pitched in some coin to make it so the school board, and the hospital he was possibly going to, say nothing to the police except that the boy had been beaten up by another student and was already in custody. Even if the police did get involved, L was credible enough to make them look the other way along with everyone else.

No news reports on this were going to reach ears, and no one but a few students were going to witness this. And those students could easily be paid off or scared into keeping their mouths shut.

I told Lucas to stay at home, but he wanted a piece of the bastard as well. I couldn't deny him that.

I found the little shit outside in the courtyard with the rest of the soccer team and a few cheerleaders, and that was it for all hopes of reason.

I didn't even get the first hit. Lucas beat me to it and punched the little fucker before throwing him to my feet.

"That's him." He assured. "That's Cedric."

I didn't even bother to hit him at first. I let him look up to see who I was before fear struck his face. Had Melina looked nothing like me, I doubt he'd be this scared.

One of the other soccer players tried to intervene. "Hey, you crazy fuck!"

I looked up at the kid before he instantly cowered back into his seat. When I was angry, I looked the part.

Matt gave him a warning. "Listen kid, this has nothing to do with you! Stay and watch if you want to, but I'd seriously just fuck off! I have never seen him this angry and the fuck if I know what he'll do next!"

This was beyond true.

I'd been pissed before. I'd been furious. But right now… I couldn't even begin to describe how utterly enraged I was to hear that this little shit before me had spread such a horrible rumour about my angel of a daughter! If I even began to try and understand that anger… shit, I think my head would explode!

A crowd started gathering around us as I leaned down to the kid, making sure he looked me in the eye.

My voice was low, hoarse, and on the verge of being demonic. "Why'd you do it?"

He shook slightly. "D-d-d-did what?"

I picked him up by the collar and slammed him into one of the brick walls behind me. "WHY DID YOU SAY YOU FUCKED MY DAUGHTER!" I yelled at him. "YOU'D BETTER TELL ME RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL RIP YOUR GODDAMN HEAD OFF!"

The little shit in my hand started to cry and shook his head. "I don't know…"

I slammed him against the wall again and he started to sob, his pants getting wet with urine.

Matt was more than amused. "Shit, Mello, you made the bastard piss 'imself!"

I could hear a few snickers here and there but my mind was still focused on the task at hand.

I tightened my grip and he whimpered. "Tell me, right fucking now, why you said you've been fucking my daughter." I growled heatedly, leaning into his face. "Tell me why you made such an outrageous lie. In fact…" I spoke a bit louder and gestured to the crowd around us. "Tell the entire school why you sent a mass text, to even my SON, that said you plowed my daughter when you did nothing of the sort! Tell them why you lied! NOW!"

He pissed himself more and his tears didn't cease.

Matt warned him. "Kid, if you don't answer him, he'll get it out of you one way or another… and he has an alibi."

At this, he sung like a canary.

"I… because she wouldn't…" the last part got cut off.

I tightened my grip and slammed him against the wall again, making him squeal in fear. "LOUDER!"

"BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T DATE ME AFTER I BROKE UP WITH CHRISTINA!"

The entire crowd was either disgusted or booing him after he said that. The girls especially were not pleased.

I wasn't pleased with just this however.

I turned to Lucas. "Turn on your camera phone. I want this video-taped."

He did so with a smug grin on his face. With the camera on, I could get a few things out for Melina to enjoy.

"Look at that camera and say you're sorry to my daughter."

He sniffled slightly. "I'm… I'm sorry, Melina."

"Louder!"

"I'M SORRY!" He screamed.

The crowed whooped at this, but I was far from done.

"Now…" I continued, smiling as smugly as my son. "Say you're a cunt-knuckle."

He hesitated for a moment but did as told when my grip tightened again. "I'M A CUNT-KNUCKLE!"

The crowd joined in a laugh or two and I had just one more thing for him to do.

"Now give me your phone."

He did so without question and I handed it to Matt. The red head knew exactly what I wanted him to do and did so without hesitation.

"There!" Matt said joyfully. "I sent a mass text to everyone that reads;

"_I was wrong to say I slept with Melina. I'm sorry for lying. The truth is that I broke up with Christina because of my secret gay lover in Brazil. I'm sorry for causing you any harm, Melina."_

"BUT I'M NOT GAY!" He argued.

I scoffed. "You also didn't fuck my daughter."

"I sent another to your parents too." Mat admitted. "Have fun explaining to them what a furry is, Cedric."

"Send one to his grandmother!" Lucas demanded.

"There's a good idea!" The red head said happily as he began tapping away at the phone keyboard. "I wonder how she feels about you being a furry!?"

"STOP IT!" The bastard demanded. "PLEASE!"

I growled before taking the phone away from Matt. Before he could protest I merely told him he'd had enough. What he did was wrong, but what we were doing was overboard. He apologized on tape and we roughed him up a bit.

But now for the lesson.

I let go of his collar, then dealt three hits to the bastard in front of me.

First one:

My fist connected to his eye. "THAT'S for spreading lies about my daughter!"

Second:

A fist to his chin. "THAT'S for making her cry!"

And lastly:

He was on the ground at the moment so I opted to kick him. "And THAT is all for me!"

I spat at the kid writhing in pain and walked away. "If I catch you fucking around with my family again, it'll be your head!"

The crowd was either cheering or applauding my performance but I knew more than a few of them were going to either call the cops on us or get a teacher.

Those that would go get a teacher would be paid off to say nothing else about the matter, and those that got the cops… well… we already knew how to deal with them.

* * *

><p>Melina was smiling again by the end of our little video. She couldn't believe we'd actually taken matters into our own hands like this, but she didn't exactly care too much. All she knew was that everything had been taken care of and she didn't have to worry about anyone sending any disrespectful texts about her again. Although it took a lot out of me, it was worth it to see her happy again.<p>

As expected, the cops were called. But thankfully we had a few aces up our sleeves.

I opened the door to greet the police happily. "Good evening officers! Is there something wrong?"

The officer took a moment to catch his bearings before proceeding.

Yes, I was close to my forties now, but I did not look like it I the slightest. Not when I wore my leather pants and silk shirt that had small, opened buttons at the top. This was just too easy.

"G-good evening, err… s-sir. We're here because this young man and his family reported that you… beat him up?"

Another thing about being thin and scraggly compared to other dads… how the hell did it look like I did so much damage to one kid?

I looked over 'worriedly' at the teen and saw the black eye and bruises all over his face.

"Oh dear! Are you alright?! What happened?!"

Those acting lessons at Wammy's paid off incredibly.

The teen looked stunned. "You… YOU DID THIS!"

I looked up at the parents. "Is he alright? Should I get him anything?"

It wasn't long after that before his parents started chatting me up and I invited them inside along with the officer to sit down and speak about all this.

Matt walked in with a glass of water and my pills. "You okay, Mel? You had a rough day."

"I'll be fine, Mattie."

Cedric's parents concern turned to me and his mother asked if I was alright.

I waved it off as I took my pills for the aftermath of Chemotherapy. I actually did need them, but it helped with the effect of innocence.

"I'm fine." I assured after finishing my drink. "The Chemotherapy's been a little rough on me."

"Chemotherapy?" The officer asked.

I nodded. "My last treatment was about a month ago, but I'm just finally getting out of my room. I'm going to be on my pills for a while though and they make me so tired. Thank god I got to keep my hair though! Even if there isn't as much as before."

The officer wrote this down, glancing angrily at Cedric. "So, Mister… Keehl, is it?"

Another ace in the sleeve. Sometimes I learned to love my surname.

"Yes, but you can call me Mello." I emphasized with a flutter of my eyes.

Hook line and sinker. This cop was blushing profusely just by the small gestures.

He went on to tell me how Cedric 'believes' that I had beaten him up at school today, and that Lucas had proof on his phone. Calling down the blonde, however, proved to be useless since there was no video on Lucas' phone that proved I'd done anything. Mainly because we'd already erased the video from his phone the minute it was uploaded onto Melina's computer.

Cedric got desperate now. "IT WAS HIM! THAT FAGGOT ACTUALLY BEAT ME UP!"

"Cedric!" His father warned before looking at me. "I am so sorry for his behaviour! He never speaks like this at home!"

"Cedric? Wait, weren't you the one that sent that mass text about our daughter?"

"YES!" He said without thinking.

This game was proving too easy for me.

He looked to his father. "I can explain…"

"What was this text, son?"

He was quiet for a very long time before he caved in and told them the truth.

The officer no longer suspected me of anything. "Young man, sending a text like that is against the Protection from Harassment Act, The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, the Malicious Communications Act, and the Communications Act!"

Busted by his own loud mouth. The little shit deserved it.

I stood up from my seat. "Cedric," I said in all seriousness, but not like from earlier on today. "My daughter has been in nothing but tears because of you. Not only that, but don't you think me having to go through Chemo was hard enough on her?! Does she really need such a horrid rumour spreading around?! I demand you apologize to her!"

"After that, we're going home!" His father growled at him.

The boy nodded to his father before walking up the stairs with me following close behind. But he was far from actually seeing my daughter right now. I just wanted to gloat a little.

I led him into an empty hall where we couldn't be heard and my wall of feign was down.

I scoffed. "You really are stupid, aren't you?"

He glared at me. "How'd you do it? How'd you get away with this?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I have powers beyond your imagination kid. Honestly, calling the cops on a chemotherapy patient? You are not going to be loved when you get home."

Surprisingly, he grinned at me. Even cocking an eyebrow. "Now I see where Melina gets her spunk from. You're alright for someone who kicked my ass."

"And made you piss your pants." I reminded. "Among other things."

He scoffed at that. "I hope Melina never loses her temper like that at school."

"Like you'll be around to know. I deduce three years of boarding school in your future for all the trouble you caused. That or Juvie."

"Would you come visit me?" He joked, looking me over. "You're not half bad looking when you're calm."

I rolled my eyes before strolling up to him.

"Keep thinking with _this_ head," I warned by grabbing it and twisting just enough to make him flinch in pain, "and you won't have it for very long."

The moment I let him go he almost fell to the floor, but his smile didn't drop. "You know, I've met many moms that I'd like to have screwed around with, but you just might be the first dad."

"I will punch you again, shit head. Now get out of my home."

It wasn't very long before I brought him back down and he played along for the rest of the visit. The moment they were gone however, everyone in the manor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well that was tasking." Matt commented before draping an arm over my shoulder. "But you did wonderfully, my love!"

My eyes rolled. "Sorry I didn't save you a punch."

"No worries. I had fun just watching you scare the piss out of him!"

I smiled at that. "Looks like I've still got it."

He kissed my cheek lovingly. "Mello, you've never lost it!"


	39. Chapter 39

_**A/N: Well, I'm going to work on this story a little bit more and make any of you who are reading 'curses and blessings' wait a bit longer. XD  
><strong>_

**_Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all at the next chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

"So who is L sending over?" Dad asked again.

Da only shrugged. "No idea. L said he was an old friend of yours from the past though."

Dad just looked confused. "I wouldn't know who he was sending. I mean… there are a few people from my past who I considered an acquaintance, but I can't think of any who I'd be friends with."

"Well he had a rather cheeky smile about it, so it's definitely someone I'm not going to like."

Dad smiled evilly. "Ooh, maybe it's that aerobics teacher I had when I was eighteen!"

"You are NEVER allowed to bring him up again!" Da got defensive. "I still have him on my hit list!"

I turned to Dad from my book. "Hot?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Smokin'!"

"NEVER, I SAY!" Da exclaimed making us giggle.

L had a certain job for our dads to attend to and he was sending over someone to help out with the dig site. They hadn't told us what it was about, but this whole debate about who was being sent over was circling around and around. Da wasn't happy about it, considering he was more than overprotective about our Dad, but the blonde was more than happy to see his partner still grow jealous after all these years. I had to admit, it was a rather amusing scene to see Da act so serious about this.

Our parents had been together for a many number of years now and I was always amazed at the connection the two still had with one another. Sure, there were a few fights at some points, but they always stayed together and made up in the end. More times than not it was Da who did the apologizing though. And although the two trusted each other very much so, Da did not trust others around Dad. He was protective and overbearing, even to the point where a fight would start _because_ of his jealousy. Dad never cheated on him or made Da look inferior to other men, but even he knew that it wasn't a crime to let his eyes wander. Eighty percent of the time, however, his eyes weren't the ones wandering.

I loved my dad, I really did. But what embarrassed me the most about him was that he was… well… good looking.

After the incident with Cedric, and he was calm and cool enough to keep his composure, he would come to my school to drop off my lunch – because both Lucas and I always forgot about it before leaving – and more than a few eyes were on him. It didn't help either that the boys of my school started hitting on him due to the fact they thought he was either female, or a new teacher. Then there were the male teachers themselves that threw their bodies to his feet. More than anything did this embarrass me because not only was my Dad committed to my Da – never having established to us whether they were married or not – but that he openly accepted the flirtation. It had come to the point where most of the girls on the cheerleading squad were jealous of the attention he got.

My Da never really had this problem, except for a few cheerleaders and other females, but with Dad having close to the entire school turning their heads for him… well… one can understand my issues.

My dads had gotten incredibly lucky considering their ages and how much they went through in life. Dad was thin yet curvy, fit, free of marks and scarred skin, and his hair framed his face perfectly. Not to mention his eyes were one of his strongest attributes. Bright and bold, but also cold and contemplating. They say the eyes are a gateway to one's soul, and if this were true… dad's eyes were an eternal guessing game as to whether or not his soul existed. But that was only with people outside the family. With us we could clearly see he had a soul and it was marvellously bright and cheery… even with the tiniest bit of taint from over the years.

My Da, on the other hand, was your perfect 'Nerd turned Hotty'. I was not the only one to admit that my Da was a good looking man. How Dad ever ended up with him was a miracle! He was kind, sweet, sensitive, and just all around loving in general. But he was tall, cut, toned, basically a model that would never need retouching in post. It may sound weird coming from his daughter that I believed he was good looking, but he was! Every girl I was friends with at school would ogle him from afar or try to flirt with him. As soon as they found out he was taken… it didn't exactly stop.

When they found out he was taken by a man… it still didn't stop.

And I really couldn't blame anyone at my school. My parents were paragons of perfection, and they didn't let their age stop them from doing what they loved most.

A sudden knock came at the door and Winston answered it right away. Not two minutes later did he return with a man around my fathers ages to introduce him.

"My Lord, L has sent a Mr. Chase Kathers to help with your newest expedition."

Dad jumped up from the couch. "No goddamn way! Chase!?"

The man opened his arms. "If it isn't 'Melina'"

Wait… what? How did he…?

The blonde hurdled over the couch to run into a hug with the man. "Oh my god! I can't believe you're here!"

The man just chuckled and swung him around. "Like you'd never see me again."

I heard Da growl. "Nevermind, I think I prefer the aerobics teacher."

I didn't know whether to agree or not.

The man before us that was hugging Dad tightly was… well… handsome. Nicely trained and not too buff, short and perfectly cut brown hair, a kind smile, nice butt. Not to mention the nice suit he wore that made him look professional and clean.

Da had a right to be a little jealous.

…but wait, Melina? What in god's name was going on here?

The man released my dad and looked him over a bit. "You have not changed a bit."

"And you," Da growled out, "have gotten fat."

Dad just looked back at him angrily. "Matt, comments to yourself. If L wants him to work with us…"

"L doesn't want him to work with us! He wants me to be jealous and angry for his own amusement!"

The man, Chase Kathers, merely chuckled. "Although I am flattered that you find me a worthy competition for Mello's affections, I am indeed a married man now." He then walked over and held out his hand. "Can't we let the past stay in the past?"

Da didn't move. "Married man or no, it doesn't stop eyes from wandering. And need I remind you that you went after him even after the case was over with."

Chase shrugged. "Can you blame me? Mello was turning heads even as a male."

"Please don't bring that up in front of my kid." Dad grumbled out in annoyance.

The man then turned to me. "Oh? And who is this?"

"One of our many children, Chase." Da growled out again, making sure to put emphasis on 'many'.

I stood up from the floor and held out my hand politely. "Melina."

He smiled at my name then took my hand to kiss it. "Lovely to meet you, Melina."

I saw Da roll his eyes at this.

I then looked to Dad. "Care to explain to me why he called you 'Melina', dad?"

The blonde said nothing to me but it didn't stop Chase from telling the truth. "Actually, my dear, I met your father while he was undercover as a student at my school. The only thing was… he wasn't undercover as a _male_ student."

That was all I needed to be told.

I looked back at Dad who was glaring at the man. "Really? And you just _had_ to name me after your female persona?"

"Not me, your Da." He explained. "And that's only because he thought the name would suit you. _I_ wanted to name you Colline."

I merely giggled and hugged the poor father of mine in apology. "I think you would have been a beautiful woman, Dad."

"Oh he was." Chase admitted. "The man had me fooled from the beginning. Damn kid was still sexy even after he revealed he was male."

"Watch it, Kathers." Da warned, getting up from his seat. "I may not have skill, but I can make sure your body is never found by anyone."

"You would separate me from my loving family?" He scoffed out. "How utterly evil of you."

"Evil?" The red head said. "No. I think I'm justified if you get out of line around my family. Which, by the way, have all been trained in different ways to maim and kill. If I don't end you… one of us will."

The man rolled his eyes. "I assure you, Matt, that I'm quite happy with my own family. Mello always made it very clear you were his one and only. Besides, Crystal and I have been married since two years after graduation. We have a son together, and I'm only here because the job offer came up and I took it. I only found out after that L was involved, and Crystal wanted to have a little reunion next we meet."

"Wait, Crystal!?" Dad said excitedly. "You two are married!?"

Chase nodded happily. "With a son, might I remind you."

"Well then bring them over, you moron! Jesus, it's not like I saved your lives or anything!"

"And nearly ended yours!" He reminded the man. "Anyway, they're waiting in the car. I told them to stay because…" he glanced over at Matt before clearing his throat, "well… none of us were sure he'd let me live."

Da nodded at the man. "A wise decision. Especially after feeling up my man."

Dad merely rolled his eyes. "He didn't feel me up, Matt. It was a kiss and I pushed him away."

"Like you didn't enjoy it." The red head claimed.

"I didn't." Dad reassured. "I don't know what he ate that night, but it was fishy and smelled awful. At least you take a mint or two before planting one on me."

Chase blinked. "Uh… ow?"

Dad made another eye roll before looking to me. "Melina, could you go upstairs and find your siblings? Let them know company's over?"

"Sure thing." I agreed before running upstairs to go find them.

I was a little anxious to meet this kid of Chase's. I mean, for as handsome as Chase was, his son must be as well. And, knowing how much luck I shared with my Dad in the looks department, it wouldn't be too hard for him to like me.

Unless he had a thing for people in drag like his father. I couldn't wait to tell Lucas and the others about _that_!


	40. Chapter 40

_**A/N: I shall be off to bed now!  
><strong>_

**_Enjoy, review if you can, and I'll see you all at the next chapter!_**

* * *

><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

Chase was a handsome man, and his wife was gorgeous!

…his son, however…

Caleb was… well… not what I expected from these two. He had his parent's dark hair and bright eyes, but his eyes were covered by heavy glasses and his hair was greasy and hidden by a beanie hat. His clothes were baggy and unclean, his skin was marked and… unclean as well. Not to mention he was hunched over and very quiet, thin and lanky, and overall… geeky. I couldn't believe for the life of me that this kid came from two absolutely stunning parents. He must have been adopted or something.

I am not a shallow person, really I'm not. I just expected something… more from him. I mean, his dad was cut and nicely toned, his mother was thin and beautiful, but Caleb was disproportionate and… well… weird looking! He looked as though he'd never even seen the outside world let alone a girl – aside from his mother. I thought this because of the way he looked at me. Like he was analyzing a cow ready for slaughter. It was creepy and I didn't like it. He didn't look at the others like this, which made me feel even more scrutinized. What did he see that was wrong with me?

Chase put an arm around Caleb and hugged him closely. "So, my boy, will you accept Mello's offer to stay here while we're in Kazakhstan for a bit?"

Oh dear lord, I completely forgot about my Dad's offer.

He, Da, and Chase would all be leaving for Kazakhstan in the next few days, and Dad had offered Caleb a free stay at our home! Not only that, but to attend our school while he was here! Was the man _trying_ to make my life hell at school?! If I was caught with him, no guy at school would look twice at me! Jesus this was turning into a nightmare! All I could hope for was that Caleb said no and walked away.

But, I had no such luck.

"Sure. I'd like to stick around… i-if that's okay with you guys." He directed to all of us.

I didn't say anything, but Lucas said enough for everyone. "No problem! We got tons of room! We'll kick Mason out of his room if you want a King sized bed!"

"Up yours!" Came the red heads reply. "You should give up your bed… oh wait. Then you wouldn't have any safe places to be fooling around with Lara."

Caleb held up his hands nervously. "It's quite alright! I'm fine with whatever bed I'm given."

Lucas put an arm around him and guided him to the door with a smile. "Then we'll figure this out after school! We got enough rooms to house another two families here, so take your pick!"

The moment he left for the car, Mason and the others following him, Dad pulled me aside before I could leave to speak with me.

This was never good.

"Melina," he began, "while at school I want you to take care of Caleb."

"What?!" I tried not to yell out. "Why me!?"

He sighed heavily. "Because he's new, you're a good protector, and I trust you to do this." He paused for a split second. "And I'd like you to remember that not all that glitters is golden… just like not all that's golden can glitter."

I grumbled slightly. "Quit talking in riddles, you know it just makes me upset."

He merely smiled at me happily. "Off to school with you."

I sighed to myself before dragging my butt out the door.

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Cheer practice went on as usual. We were indoors, practicing some flips and tricks, getting some looks from boys, and ultimately trying to figure out new techniques. There was going to be a football game soon enough and we had to be there to cheer on our team. This would be the last game until April, so after this we wouldn't have to work or worry so much.<p>

Once we got to break time, I noticed some eyes on me and immediately returned a glance to the ones I knew weren't taken. It was too easy for me to get noticed nowadays, especially in my cheer uniform. Short skirt, short shirt, skin bare and clean, not to mention I was one of the few girls that stretch and flip during a routine. It wasn't surprising that I was getting looks. And then there was the ever-looming dance that was supposed to be coming up soon, so questions flew my way as to who I would be going with.

And, with so many choices, it was difficult to confirm.

I paused my flirtation for a bit to look over at the bleachers. Thanks to me and Lucas, him with football and me with cheerleading, we had to stay at school an extra hour. Roxanne didn't seem to mind since Zephyr always hung out with her in the bleachers while waiting for us to finish, Mason usually brought his laptop and was gaming online, and Andrei was usually busy with a sketch. The only difference today… Caleb was there with us.

I looked away the moment I caught his eyes and tried not to get frustrated. He'd done nothing but follow me around like a puppy today, and I had to pretend not to even be annoyed by his presence. There was no doubt in my mind that he was a sweet kid… he just wasn't my type. I had enough geeks and freaks at home to deal with. No, I wanted a toned, strong, athletic man to whisk me away and call me his. Too bad they were all moronic in high school and therefor uninteresting.

I felt someone tap my arm and giggle. "Who's your friend on the bleachers?" I heard on of the girls ask.

I rolled my eyes. "He's not a friend of mine. He's the kid of my dad's friend and we're looking after him while they go on an expedition."

"Really?" She'd asked in surprise. "The way he's looking at you I'd say he's thinking of you as more than a… well… acquaintance, we'll say."

I rolled my eyes. "Not happening. I see his kind every time I go downstairs for breakfast. I don't want to date one."

"Oh come on!" She persisted. "He's kind of cute!"

I growled under my breath. "Can't we just go back to practice, please?"

"No," came a reply from another girl.

Christina.

Ever since she found out Cedric dumped her for me… she hadn't been too friendly with me. Even after she knew I'd refused him completely. I guess I couldn't blame her for being a bit miffed at me, but holding a grudge like this?!

The girl smirked at me. "In fact, I dare you to ask him out."

"Excuse me? Are you five?" I replied. "I'm not going to ask out someone I don't even like…"

"Call it an apology for getting Cedric sent to military school." She interrupted.

Another girl from the squad, Carol, got between us. "Christina, I know you're still hurting about Cedric, but the guy was an ass. And daring Melina to ask him out is not only unfair to the both of them, but it's completely childish."

Christina scoffed. "Fine, then do it or you're off the squad."

I cocked an eyebrow at her, the rest of the girls complaining about her being unfair. "Excuse me! You have no right to kick me out for something as crude and childish as a dare!"

"I do if I believe you've been 'using', if you catch my drift."

The rest of squad got defensive at this and I had to restrain myself from suffocating her. I couldn't believe she was actually doing this to me, all because her ex dumped her for no good reason and was shipped off to military school for spreading lies about me! I was barely involved with any of this! I was trying to avoid it if anything!

While the girls bickered I simply gave up and threw my pom-poms to the ground. When I began to walk towards the bleachers, having been asked what I was doing, I begrudgingly repeated, "It's just one date. It couldn't kill me."

Unfortunately I was having eyes watch me from the very moment I broke away from the group. Meaning more than enough people watched me walk up to this geeky kid and ask him out on a date. I half expected him to say yes, but…

"Are you sure?" Came the reply.

What kind of reply was that? Who said 'are you sure' after being asked out?

I bit back my snarky attitude and forced out a smile. "Of course, Caleb. Why would you ask that?"

He shrugged and shied away somewhat. "No one really asked me out before."

_'Shocker_.' I thought bitterly.

I took a breath. "Well I think it's a great way for us to get to know each other."

He grinned at me. "Sure… we could go out."

"REALLY!" Came a male voice from the football team. "SHE CHOSE HIM OVER ME!?"

I bit back the heavy sigh as I looked over at Christina who was smiling smugly at me. She got what she wanted… and I got to stay in the squad.

I looked back at Caleb. "Tomorrow then?"

His smile widened. "Sure thing!"

* * *

><p><strong>(Lucas P.O.V)<strong>

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and I was disgusted by it.

Melina was actually doing this on a dare! A DARE! She didn't give a rat's furry ass about how Caleb felt! She just did it because that Christina chick _made_ her! If our Dad was here right now he'd hit the roof with how furious he would be! Melina knew better than to use a man like this, and yet there she was playing him like a flute.

I quit practice for the day so I could go shower in the locker room away from everyone else. If they even knew how utterly angry and disappointed I was to see my sister being so disrespectful of the human heart… I didn't even know. I was just angry!

The moment my shower was done the cheerleaders and rest of the team was finished with their duties and I hurried over to Melina to pull her aside.

Once we were alone I let loose my frustration.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I demanded. "DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS A GAME TO YOU!?"

"Look!" She fought back. "Christina threatened to kick me out if I didn't so…"

"SO GET KICKED OUT!" I interrupted her. "DAD TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THIS, OR ARE YOU AS SHALLOW AND STUPID AS YOU APPEAR!?"

"EXCUSE ME! HOW CAN YOU EVEN…"

"NO, SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" I interrupted again, but this time making her flinch. "IF YOU GO THROUGH WITH THIS, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE WORST, _WORST_ TYPE OF HUMAN ALIVE! CALEB IS A HUMAN BEING, AND THE MOMENT HE FINDS OUT ABOUT THIS…!"

"Oh shut it, Lucas." Came the small voice belonging to Caleb.

We both looked to see the kid looking onwards at us in an almost uncaring attitude. I immediately wished I'd been a tad bit quieter now.

He scratched the back of his head. "Look, I know it was a setup. I'm not a moron. I heard everything that Christina bitch said to you so I played along. I know you don't want to date me, so we won't go out tomorrow. I'm sorry for causing all this trouble."

With that, he left us and I immediately tried to follow him and comfort the kid. Melina could just wallow in her self-pity for all I cared.

* * *

><p><strong>(Melina P.O.V)<strong>

I didn't know if it was because Lucas yelled at me, or because of the way Caleb hung his head in sadness… but I felt terrible for what I'd done.

I couldn't believe I was actually going to use him to stay on a squad that barely even needed or liked me. Was I seriously as bad as Lucas had said? No… no, I was worse. No person should use another like I was going to. And the way Caleb had even went along with it, just to save me my place in the squad… he deserved better than me.

I looked at my uniform and instantly hated the way it made me look. Like a sheep among others following a herder. What a fool I was being.

But… maybe I could change that.

* * *

><p>I found Caleb outside near the pond drawing small circles with a twig in the water. He didn't exactly look sad anymore… but he wasn't happy either.<p>

And why should he be?

I sat down beside him and hummed. "It's nice, isn't it? The quiet."

He took a glance at me before humming as well. "It's different than the city, this is true."

I chuckled to myself. "Me and my Dad planted all these flowers and plants, you know. Something to pass the time. It was nice spending time with him."

"I'll bet." He replied, still drawing circles in the water.

I took a breath and exhaled slowly. "I quit the squad."

He stopped to look up at me. "What?! Why?!"

I shrugged. "It just wasn't me. All I enjoyed from it was the attention anyway. But… even then it was kind of boring. I guess I just haven't found my place yet."

He hummed at this and looked back at his twig. "You deserve better than them, anyway."

I nodded at this. "I suppose so… but, telling you this isn't why I'm here."

He glanced at me again before looking back. "Oh?"

I smiled shyly. "I was… actually wondering if you wanted to hang out or something. I'd like to get to know you… for real this time."

It was silent in the garden for the longest time. It was as if the guy was debating whether or not I was being serious about this or stringing him along again. Either way, my thoughts were genuine. I judged him too fast and too early… and I ended up hurting him and brother. Lucas had been correct to tell me that our Dad taught me better than this.

So… hopefully I could redeem myself a bit.

He finally dropped his twig and and sighed, looking up to the sunset sky. "Well… I've got nothing better to do. If you want we can go for a walk around London. I've never been here before and I believe you know a bit more about the place than I do.

I smiled happily as I got up from my seat and held out my hand. "I'd be happy to go on a walk with you, Caleb."

His small smiled and acceptance of my hand sent shivers down my spine.

Did he always have that nice of a smile?


End file.
